Trillanes to Roque: Go ahead, sue me

MANILA, Philippines — Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday belittled the threat of former presidential spokesman Harry Roque to file counter-charges against him.

“He should reenter law school first so that he will not cause disgrace with his plans to file (counter-charges),” Trillanes said in a text message to The STAR.

Trillanes has filed libel and cyberlibel cases against Roque before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

Roque vowed to charge Trillanes in court “for his acts of disloyalty to the republic.”

The Quezon City prosecutor’s office has summoned Roque and vlogger Byron Cristobal to a preliminary hearing.

Roque said he has yet to receive the subpoena as he asked why it was Trillanes who only received the summon.

“I did not know we were the first to receive the copy of the subpoena. I posted it on X as an update on the case,” Trillanes said, in response to Roque’s statement that there was nothing newsworthy about the issuance of the subpoena.

Trillanes alleged that he has been targeted with false accusations by Roque, Cristobal and certain hosts of Sonshine Media Network Inc. as well as other social media accounts supportive of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Trillanes said the attacks against him on social media platforms were related to allegations that he “sold” Panatag Shoal to China.

The Office of the Ombudsman in 2017 cleared former president Benigno Aquino III and Trillanes of treason and espionage for engaging in backchannel negotiations with China to resolve the Panatag Shoal standoff in 2012.