EXECUTIVE Secretary Lucas Bersamin yesterday shot back at former President Rodrigo Duterte and branded as “hallucination” his allegation that former senator Antonio Trillanes IV is an alleged Palace attack dog.
In an ambush interview at the sidelines of the National Prayer Breakfast in Malacañang, Bersamin said: “Alam mo mahirap nang pumatol sa ganyan dahil hallucination na iyan (you know, it is hard to comment on such a comment because that is a mere hallucination).”
Duterte, during a phone call with former presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo while the latter was livestreaming on his social media, alleged that Trillanes’ recent attacks against him were “Malacañang-sponsored.”
The former president claimed the former senator would not do anything unless there was money involved.
He said he could not understand why the Palace is supposedly attacking him when he neither did nor said anything against President Marcos Jr.
Duterte and Trillanes had recently had a face off during the hearing of the quad committee of the House of Representatives on the previous administration’s war on drugs.
During the hearing, Duterte almost threw the microphone stand infront of him when Trillanes revived his allegations that funds supposedly from drug lords were allegedly funneled into the former president’s account.
At the House, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V assailed Duterte for flip-flopping on his vow to sign an absolute waiver to allow the House quad committee to look into his bank accounts following Trillanes’ allegation that P2.4 billion was deposited to the accounts under the names of the former chief executive and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, from 2011 to 2015.
“Nung una, mag-execute ng waiver. Nung mayroon na tayong ginawang waiver sa quad, magpapaalam sa asawa (At first, he vowed to execute a waiver. When a waiver was prepared by the quad, he said he would have to ask for his wife’s permission first),” Ortega told a press conference. “Iba-iba po ‘yung sagot duon sa second floor, iba sagot sa hagdanan, pagdating po sa ground floor iba na naman po yung sagot (He had different answers on the second floor, on the staircase, and when we reached the ground floor, he also had a different answer).”
Duterte lost his cool during the quad comm’s hearing last Wednesday after he silently cursed and acted as if he was going to hit Trillanes with the microphone in front of him.
Trillanes, who was also a resource person in the hearing, was seated two chairs away from the former president. Trillanes had accused the former president of supposedly keeping bank accounts where he allegedly received millions in drug money from a certain Sammy Uy.
The former senator, who had a power point presentation of the bank accounts which he first made public in 2016, said the former president even had a joint account with the Vice President, who was also present in the hearing.
Duterte initially told the panel that he would sign a waiver if he could slap Trillanes in public but eventually reneged, saying he first needs the consent of his wife since it involves a joint account.
Trillanes has said Duterte was trying to take the panel for a ride once again, adding that a waiver should also be signed by the former president for his joint account with his daughter.
Despite the inconsistencies, Ortega said the joint committee chaired by Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers is closely monitoring Duterte’s actions, particularly as the statements he made were under oath.
Ortega also dismissed the recent statement of the former President that Trillanes is an attack dog of Malacañang, saying the former senator has long been a “fiscalizer” and a Duterte nemesis.
The La Union lawmaker also cited the longstanding rivalry between Duterte and Trillanes, which dates back several years. “Alam naman natin na ‘ika nga may rivalry sila ng dating Pangulo. (We all know that they have a rivalry of the ex-president),” he said.
Meanwhile, Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, a staunch Duterte ally, called the quad comm hearings a “big political dud.”
“In a lengthy 13-hour session before the quad committee, former President Rodrigo Duterte faced a barrage of pointed questions from Congress members intent on challenging his legacy. Yet, despite the committee’s apparent goal to corner him, the hearing failed to yield any new or significant allegations,” he said in a statement.
Alvarez said there was nothing new with Duterte’s testimonies about extrajudicial killings (EJKs) under his war on drugs, saying eradicating illegal drugs was a campaign promise supported by the public.
“Kung may kaso, e di file the case. Pero wala eh. Political theatrics lang yung nangyayari (If there’s a case, then file it. But there’s nothing. It’s just political theatrics),” he said.
Alvarez said Duterte should be allowed to seek another term as President in 2028 even if the Constitution provides that the President is limited to a single six-year term.
“Alam ninyo, ang nakalagay sa 1987 Constitution (You know, what’s stated in the 1987 Constitution) – ‘The President shall not be eligible for any reelection.’ It refers to the sitting or incumbent President not allowed for reelection, para maiwasan yung ginawa ni Marcos Sr. na tuloy-tuloy siya sa Malacañang, walang interruption, ng dalawang dekada (to avoid what former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. did, where he perpetuated himself in power in Malacañang, no interruptions for two decades),” he said.
Alvarez said the constitutional provision “should not apply to a former president because he is not the incumbent.”
“Puwede na siya tumakbo ulit. Nakita niyo naman, 13 hours nila ginisa si dating Pangulong Duterte, malakas pa rin, at yung puso niya nasa tamang lugar. Totoong para sa bayan (He can run again. You’ve seen it, he was grilled for 13 hours, he remained strong, and his heart is in the right place. It’s truly for the country). Let him run, let the people decide, and if there is a legal issue, let the Courts resolve it,” he said.
Reacting to Alvarez, Ortega said, “Good luck” while Khonghun said, “God bless.”
In a related development, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the task force created by the Department of Justice has formally started its investigation into the alleged EJKs and other abuses in the Duterte administration’s drug war.
“Yes, our task force is doing that now. Kakakausap ko lang kanina ‘yung head ng task force (I just talked to the head of the task force)” Remulla told reporters in a chance interview when asked for an update on the matter.
The task force is composed of state prosecutors and operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation.
It is chaired by a Senior Assistant State Prosecutor and co-chaired by a Regional Prosecutor with nine members from the National Prosecution Service.
Created under Memorandum Order No.778 dated November 4, Remulla directed the task force to “investigate, assist in the conduct of case build-up, and if warranted, file the appropriate criminal charges in court against the perpetrators and all those involved in extrajudicial killings during the previous administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.” – With Wendell Vigilia and Ashzel Hachero
