Trillanes taunts Duterte allies: No railroading dismissal of impeach rap

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

Too bad for President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies in the House of Representatives but they can’t “railroad” the dismissal of the impeachment complaint filed against him until the resumption of the session in May, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said on Friday.

The complaint against Duterte was filed in the House by Magdalo Partylist Representative Gary Alejano on Thursday, just a day after Congress adjourned its sessions for a one-and-a-half-monthlong break. It will resume its work on May 2.

“The way the Duterte allies are reacting shows how truly bothered they are by the impeachment complaint,” Trillanes, who also belonged to the Magdalo group, said in a text message.

“Too bad for them, they can’t railroad its dismissal until the resumption of session in May. By then, a lot of things would have happened,” the senator added.

READ: 1st impeachment complaint filed vs Duterte for killings, graft

Trillanes issued the statement when sought for comment on Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s remark that the filing of the impeachment complaint against the President was “stupid.”

“We are all entitled to our own stupidity,” Alvarez was quoted as saying in one interview.

READ: Alvarez on first impeachment rap vs Duterte: It’s stupidity

Asked if the impeachment complaint was deliberately filed after the break, Trillanes said yes.

“A lot of things could happen in two months that could be a game-changer in this impeachment complaint,” the senator added.

READ: Impeachment rap meant to discredit Duterte administration—Palace

Trillanes has been a vocal critic of Duterte, whom he said had P2.2 billion worth of bank transactions from 2006 to 2015 or before the latter became president. This alleged hidden wealth was one of the issues included in the complaint against Duterte. IDL/rga