Former President Rodrigo Duterte wants to file a libel case against his staunchest critic, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, for the latter’s allegation that suspicious funds were funneled into the Duterte family’s bank accounts.
Duterte said this after Trillanes, during the House quad committee inquiry into the drug war on Nov. 13, presented bank documents supposedly belonging to the Duterte family showing that P2.4 billion was deposited to Duterte’s and Vice President Sara Duterte’s bank account from 2011 to 2015.
Duterte, speaking to former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo via phone call while Panelo was live on Tiktok late Thursday, Nov. 14, said Trillanes should just prove his claims in court.
“Tumawag ako sa iyo kasi ‘yung kasinungalingan ni Trillanes gusto kong ikonsulta kasi I have to file libel cases against him… Ni isang katiting doon wala,” he said.
“Ayoko na lang magsalita basta ako mag-file ng kaso. Patunayan niya sa korte kung… puro kabulastugan na fake news,” he added.
Duterte even claimed that some of his family members’ names were misspelled in the documents that Trillanes showed in Congress.
The former president likewise explained why he lost his cool with Trillanes. Duterte was seen picking up his mic and acting as if he would throw it at the former senator.
“Somebody should teach him a lesson in life,” Duterte said.
“Kalokohan ang pinapasok niya sa buhay niya. Panira ng ibang tao, sirain ‘yung puri, and he gets away with it,” he added.
If Trillanes’ claims were proven true, Duterte said he would ask his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, to step down from her post. (Argyll Geducos)
