Trillanes to Rody: Stop giving excuses, pusoy ka na

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV believes he has proven that President Duterte is a liar so the Chief Executive should stop giving excuses and open his bank accounts to public scrutiny.

“Nabisto kaya nagpapalusot. Wala nang lusot dito, kumbaga e pusoy na pusoy na. Ngayon babalik ko sa kanya, pumirma ka ng waiver. Ang dami mong arte, pirma ka (He was caught so he’s giving excuses. He’s been called out. I challenge him again: sign the waiver),” Trillanes said.

With Duterte’s admission that he made up the account number of his alleged Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) account, Trillanes said all of his other alleged offshore bank deposits are fake too.

Trillanes said that the President has lost all credibility and it is time that the Filipino people wake up and see through his lies.

According to Trillanes, the President would not have come out with his admission had he not called his bluff and gone to Singapore to personally check on those accounts.

“He made the mistake of bringing this fight to my territory. He will not win here. Now if he will insist on this, the more all of these allegations will go back to him,” he said.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson lauded Trillanes for going the extra mile to disprove the allegations made by the President and said that he won this round as far as the battle for credibility is concerned.

“I take my hat off to Senator Trillanes. Very boldly he showed that he could disprove this and he did not hesitate at all. I admire him for that,” Lacson said.

“I would say the credibility of Senator Trillanes was buoyed up,” he added.

Lacson said that by disproving the existence of the two bank accounts linked to him, Trillanes was able put a cloud of doubt over the other offshore accounts he allegedly owns.

With this development, Lacson said the burden of proof has now shifted to the President, who insists that he has the goods on Trillanes.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that it was “unusual” that a President would admit coming out with a fake bank account of Trillanes.  

“It’s not very presidential,” Drilon said.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said that it would be best to wait and see what the game plan of the President is with regard to the case of Trillanes.

“Maybe he has info on other accounts. Maybe it was just a bait. Maybe. But I don’t know anything about this at all,” Pimentel said.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella told reporters at the Senate yesterday that the President follows his own logic and it is best to wait and see what he does after coming out with his revelation the other night.

“We’re going to clarify with pertinent sources, including the President,” Abella said.

Lawmakers hit Duterte

Lawmakers chided President Duterte yesterday for allegedly “lying” on the supposed bank accounts of Trillanes in Singapore.

“Lying has been the trademark of President Duterte when confronted with the truth. From his campaign to his way of governance, it is all paved with lies,” Rep. Tom Villarin of Akbayan said.

He said all that is coming out of Duterte’s mouth “are lies, trash and profanities.”

Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. said if the President could lie about Trillanes’ bank deposits, it is possible that the charges filed against opposition Sen. Leila de Lima are also lies.

“They invent facts and when caught, they claim those are all a joke,” he said.

Rep. Gary Alejano of Magdalo said Duterte’s claim of invention proves that the President’s allegations about Trillanes’ foreign bank deposits were “fake news.”

Rep. Emmi de Jesus of Gabriela said the President’s admission that he invented the bank account number of Trillanes erodes Duterte’s credibility.

PCOO to fight fake news

Meanwhile, Presidential communications chief Martin Andanar vowed yesterday to fight fake news with a nationwide campaign amid allegations that his office is one of the purveyors of wrong information.

During deliberations on the proposed P1.315-billion budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office by the Senate finance committee, Andanar said part of the PCOO’s P245-million media literacy project will go to programs to fight fake news.  – With Jose Rodel Clapano, Jess Diaz, Paolo Romero