Lacson: Trillanes part of ouster plot vs Duterte

Sen. Panfilo Lacson Photo. Photo by ALEXIS CORPUZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Without mincing words, Senator Panfilo Lacson on Monday tagged Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as one of those behind alleged efforts to destabilize the Duterte administration.

A confessed destabilizer during the time of then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Lacson claimed he knows a destabilization plot when he sees one.

“Naging part ako ng (I was part of the) destabilization during the past administration, not under President Aquino, before that. And I know a destabilization activity when I see one. So yan naging basehan kung bakit parang (that’s the basis why it seems that) this looks or this sounds familiar,” he told Senate reporters.

“Ano ba aim, bakit pursigidong ipalabas o ma-prolong, ma-extend ang hearing? Isa lang naman eh, to bring down the administration,” he said, apparently referring to Trillanes’ proposal to conduct more hearings on retired policeman Arturo Lascañas’ allegations against President Rodrigo Duterte.

(What’s the aim, why is there eagerness to prolong, extend the hearing? There’s only [objective], to bring down the administration.)

“To me, it’s not bad, it’s normal when you feel an administration is failing the Filipino people, I think it’s incumbent upon us being public officials ourselves and even a common Filipino, ordinary Filipino, na gumawa rin ng hakbang para di mapabagsak sa illegal na pamamaraan. Kasi meron naman constitutional na pamamaraan para maialis mo ang isang Pangulo na sa tingin mo hindi sumasang-ayon sa Constitution,” Lacson added.

(To me, it’s not bad, it’s normal when you feel an administration is failing the Filipino people, I think it’s incumbent upon us being public officials ourselves and even a common Filipino, ordinary Filipino to ensure [that any move to bring down a government] should not be done illegally because there are constitutional means to remove a President who you think is violating the Constitution.)

It was Trillanes who facilitated Lascañas’ public confession last February 20 and initiated the probe conducted by the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, chaired by Lacson.

But after conducting one hearing last week, Lacson’s committee, acting on a motion, terminated the probe.

Asked then if he thinks Trillanes was behind a destabilization plot against the Duterte administration, Lacson said: “Well admittedly siya naman yung handler e. And of course sa kanya nag-report. And the other handlers whom di naman natin kilala lahat kung sino nagha- handle.”

(Well admittedly he is the handler. And of course [Lascañas] reported to him. And the other handlers whom we didn’t know because we don’t everyone who handles [Lascañas].)

“But the mere act alone of going from one media outlet to another, and as I was observing pagka may hearing, napakaraming international media na nagko-cover, which is quite unusual. Marami rin tayong hearings na ginagawa rito wala tayong nakikitang masyadong international media.”

(But the mere act alone of going from one media outlet to another, and as I was observing when there’s a hearing, there are many international media covering which is quite unusual. We also conduct a lot of hearings here but we don’t see a lot of international media.)

Told about Trillanes’ statement that exposing the truth does not mean destabilization, Lacson said: “Pero ano ang goal (But what’s the goal)? Just the truth? Come on. We were not born yesterday. All of a sudden goal mo lang (your only goal) is just to expose the truth? For what reason, for what purpose? And what is the objective?” RAM/rga

READ: Trillanes, Pangilinan say Lascañas not for destabilization

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