Trillanes inciting Pinoys to hate Duterte — Panelo

MANILA, Philippines -  Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo claimed yesterday that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV might be liable for inciting to sedition for repeatedly accusing President Duterte of being a murderer without evidence.

Panelo said Trillanes has been criticizing Duterte to influence the public to hate the President.

“When you incite people to hate a particular public official, that’s inciting to sedition without going through the requirements of sedition where there is armed uprising against the government,” Panelo told reporters.

“From what I hear on his declarations, he is effectively inciting the people to hate the President,” he added.

Asked how he would draw the line between inciting to sedition and fiscalizing, Panelo replied: “If you keep on repeating the same allegations like he is a murderer, he is corrupt without presenting evidence, I don’t think you’re doing it as a public service.

“Because if it is a public service, what you should do is file a case, not just besmirch the reputation of a particular public official. That’s beyond the mantle of freedom of expression,” he added.

Citing previous reports, Panelo said the Department of Justice and the Solicitor General are studying what cases can be filed against the senator.

“It will influence or persuade the people to hate a particular public official and that is one requirement in inciting to sedition, not sedition itself, but inciting to sedition,” he said.  

Panelo believes Trillanes would not be able to gain support from the military.

“I think Sen. Trillanes has lost whatever influence he has on his colleagues,” he said.

Black propaganda

A gambling lord who failed to get a license for Small Town Lottery (STL) operations is allegedly among the financiers of the black propaganda campaign against President Duterte, sources told The STAR said yesterday.

The source said the gambling lord, who was not immediately identified, has enlisted the help of retired Senior Police Officer 3 Arthur Lascañas, a member of the board of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and presidential son Sebastian Duterte to apply as an Authorized Agent Corporation (AAC) for STL operations in Batangas and Laguna, where the illegal numbers game jueteng is popular.

“Lascañas has claimed that he is helping the so-called Davao group in their application for STL,” the source said.

However, when they sought audience with PCSO chairman Jorge Corpuz, they were told to join the bidding and follow the guidelines set in applying for STL.

Corpuz confirmed that Lascañas and his group have expressed their desire to operate STL in Batangas without the necessary bidding.

“I left after talking to them. I told them to participate in the accreditation of AAC,” Corpuz said.

He also pointed out that PCSO is against illegal gambling, and the government is promoting STL as the only legal numbers game in the country.

“As for Lascañas, I hope he supports STL for President Duterte,” Corpuz said.

After failing to get the STL ACC, Lascañas reportedly told the executive assistant of Corpuz that he would “threaten” Corpuz for rejecting his request.

Another source said that the gambling lord earlier sought an audience with PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan but was not entertained because he is involved in jueteng operations in Bicol.

“After failing to get the ACC, Lascañas made true his threat to Corpuz by turning against President Duterte and went to the Senate to recant his statement on the existence of the Davao death squad (DDS).

“The rest is history,” the source said. – With Perseus Echeminada, Delon Porcalla