Trillanes: Plunder raps to greet Duterte, Go exit

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)

MANILA, Philippines — A string of plunder charges will be filed against President Rodrigo Duterte and his close aide, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go once they are out of power, Sen. Sonny Trillanes IV said on Monday.

In his YouTube video blog series TRX, Trillanes said Duterte and Go allegedly exerted their influence to enable the construction firms of Go’s family to corner about P6.6 billion worth of infrastructure projects, supposedly through dubious means.

“If we sum up all the projects cornered by the construction firms of Bong Go’s father and his half brother, this would amount to P6.6 billion — P1.5 billion during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor, and P5.1 billion during the first two years of Duterte presidency,” he said.

But Trillanes said he had opted not to file the plunder cases while Duterte and Go are still in power because “surely, they will use their position to junk all the cases that will be filed against them.”

“Hayaan ninyo, konting hintay na lang naman (Don’t worry, it will just be a short wait),” he said.

Citing documents he supposedly obtained from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and a report by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Trillanes said CLTG Builders, owned by Go’s father Deciderio, and Alfrego Builders, owned by his half-brother, bagged public works contracts while he was the special assistant to then Mayor Duterte, and as then Special Assistant to the President.

Based on Commission on Audit (COA) records, CLTG Builders was awarded 125 projects from March 25 to May 2018, worth 4.89 billion, Trillanes said.

P3.2B projects in 2017

“In 2017 alone, CLTG got 27 projects worth P3.2 billion, again, all located in Davao City and Davao Region only,” he said.

Among the projects awarded to CLTG include P251 million for the Davao City bypass road; P208.8 million for the Barangays Canocotan and Bincu, also in Davao City; P188 million, P182.2 million, and P177.3 million for the widening of a bypass road project in barangays Licanan, Bunawan, Indangan and Cabantian in Davao City.

Records showed that from June 2007 to July 2018, Alfrego Builders, was awarded 59 projects amounting to 1.74 billion, Trillanes said.

“In 2018 alone, Alfrego Builders purportedly won 23 projects amounting to P1.3 billion, like CLTG, all projects located in Davao City or Davao Region only,” he said.

B license only

Among the projects it contracted include P181.6 million Digos to Makar bypass road project; P140 million, P132.5 million, P108.3 million, and P93 million, all for concreting or road widening projects in Davao City and Davao Region, Trillanes said.

He said the two firms also managed to secure large projects despite having B license by engaging in joint ventures.

“But documents also showed that while they purport to have engaged in joint ventures, it was Bong Go’s father Deciderio, who has been identified as the contractor, and is the signatory in the contract,” he said.

Trillanes cited provisions of the Constitution, which prohibits the President, Vice President, members of cabinet or their deputies, from participating in any business venture, or being financially interested in any contract with the government.

“As always, these allegations did not come from gossip, but from documents from DTI and COA, so they cannot escape liability,” he said.

In response, Go said Trillanes’ allegations were “rehashed issues.”

He said he had already answered the allegations in 2018.

“I will never back down from the cases that will be filed because I know my conscience is clear, and I have not violated any law,” he said in a Viber message.

Go dismissed accusations that he influenced, interfered, or benefitted from the contracts won by firms of his family.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said there was nothing new in what Trillanes revealed as he already made similar allegations in the past.

“He was not able to prove anything when he was still sitting in the Senate,” Roque said.

But Roque did not say anything about the contracts that Go’s family got when the senator was already in power as Duterte’s close aide.