By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
MANILA – Former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, mayoralty aspirant in Caloocan City, on Friday (March 7) said that the plunder case against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will proceed in August and the criminal complaint in the ICC (International Criminal Court) for the alleged crimes against humanity will proceed in October this year.
During the Balitaan sa Tinapayan Media Forum hosted by National Press Club (NPC) Director Benedict Abaygar, Jr. , Trillanes said that the case he filed a supplemental affidavit in relation to the case he filed July last yer against Pulong Duterte, Mans Carpio, Nicanor Faeldan and others in connection with the shipment of P6.7-billion shabu shipment in 2017.
This was the basis that convicted Mark Taguba, who positively pointed to Pulong Duterte who was allegedly the protector of the contrabands in the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
Trillanes said that it would appear that Pulong Duterte was behind the shipment of the P6.7-billion shabu shipment.
According to Trillanes, they are confident that the case would prosper both in the testimonial and documentary evidence, Mark Taguba was convicted based the evidence presented as well as the testimonies of Guban.
Other evidences were submitted to bolster the case.
This would prove that the “war on drugs” of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was a “bogus” in the sense that their group allegedly was the sole supplier of illegal drugs in the country.
Trillanes stressed that the “war on drugs” was aimed to frighten the people such that an individual may be pointed to as a drug lord.
He recalled that reports have it that killings during the war on drugs were justified.
“it did not only succeed but it also killed the competition in the drug supply, shut down the local supply and imported the drugs which increased the price of drugs which benefitted the group of Duterte,” Trillanes.
Police colonels and generals were involved in the drug trade.
“At least today, the drug suspects and police involved or drug lord were arrested,” Trillanes said.
He cited that a drug suspect was arrested and an individual was even promoted in the Judiciary.
Trillanes said that the arrest of drug suspects or those involved in drug trade is a good start.
He noted that as a national policy, nobody is being protected and that is a good start.
Michael Yang, Charlie Tan was identified as the drug lord involved in the BOC operations but he was also involved in the drug operations or Michael Yang, Trillanes said.
Duterte, Mans Carpio, Michael,Nicanor Faeldon, Alex Capuyan, who was former NCIP Chairperson, were all allegedly involved in drug operations.
“If they were really serious during the “war on drugs” it would not have been a big problem, citing that former President Duterte even ordered the killing of Col. Acierto,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes was confident that former President Duterte will be held accountable before the ICC (International Criminal Court) for the death of thousands of innocent civilians during the “war on drugs”
Trillanes, who is running for mayor of Caloocan City, cited the case of the killing of a certain “Jem Boy” who was also a victim of the “war on drugs”.
He would address the “supply side (chain)” through an intensified collaboration with the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) in order to arrest the drug lord, he would also push for the rehabilitation of drug suspects on the “demand side” and provide livelihood opportunities for them once they are rehabilitated.
Trillanes would create a barangay intelligence network direct to the City Hall to address the problem on drugs.
On the informal settlers, Trillanes said, that each district or barangay has its own unique situation such as in District 2 (Dagat-Dagatan area) such that the area can be expropriated such that they are not paying real estate tax.
He assured that there will be no demolition in Callocan City without resettlement for those to be affected if there will be any.
If elected as Caloocan City Mayor, Trillanes said that if the loans were legitimately acquired, they will be honored and those loans illegally acquired, will be audited in the sense that if there will be no “corruption” in “big ticket projects”, there will be no need for audit.
Trillanes sees “corruption” as the primary problem of Caloocan City such as “ghost projects”, citing the garbage collection which is now being done once a week only.
“All the big problems of Caloocan, the root cause is ‘corruption’,” Trillanes said. He added that he would invest in the youth of the youth such as scholarship, additional beneficiaries under the 4Ps of the DSWD as well as for the senior citizens.
Trillanes said that they will provide necessary financial resources for these families, noting that Caloocan City is the second biggest city in Metro Manila in terms of total land area.
As Caloocan City Mayor, Trillanes would provide a P2,000 cash allowance per month to the student scholars of the UCC (University of Caloocan), which based on the financial resources of the city can be realized.
On the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, Trillanes said that he agreed both in the statements that the delay in the impeachment trial is premised on the domain of the Senate as it is within the mandate of the Senate based on the decision of the majority of the Senators, although there was no majority consensus, but Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has a minority bloc in the Senate.
According to Trillanes, Escudero is a good Senate President, but he has missed the chance or opportunity to convene the Senate or call for a special session to proceed with the trial of the impeachment of Vice President Duterte as provided for in the 1987 Constitution which says that “forthwith, the impeachment trial should proceed…”
In his own pulse, Trillanes said that the incumbent Senators would not favor the impeachment trial of the Vice President to proceed before the May 12, 2025 national elections.
However, Trillanes said that the re-electionist Senators would not be affected if the impeachment trial proceeds, but they are “playing safe” so to speak.
He noted that while President Marcos, Jr. is sitting well and has three more years to govern, but there are many political calculations or implications that may have to be considered.
Trillanes stressed that the election campaign in the national position is “media-centric” and in the local position it is “ground-centric”.
On the results of survey, Trillanes surmised that he got even a -22%, which for him is “excessive”.
In 2007, Trillanes won as Senator even if he was incarcerated, and the Pulse Asia then could not explain on the results of the survey then.
The 2010 survey showed that Manuel “Mar” Roxas II would win the presidential elections then, but to no avail.
Trillanes said that a local candidate canno isolate himself from the “national theme”, noting that they are separate from the national campaign but they are one in the local campaign for the May 12 midterm elections.
He expressed the hope that the plunder cases he filed against the Duterte before the Department of Justice (DOJ) will proceed by August this year and the complaint with the ICC will proceed in October this year.
“It would appear that they (Dutertes) were behind the “drug cartel” and Michael Yang was their protector,” Trillanes said.
The social media was behind the victory of Duterte in 2016, citing that Davao City was even featured as the “Singapore” of the Philippines. The PNP generals who were allegedly involved in drug trade, were even promoted.
Trillanes admitted that running for Mayor of Caloocan City is “challenging” such that he won as Senator in 2010 even if he was detained then and that if he is able to convince the people of Caloocan that reforms will be made in the city, he has the chance to become mayor.
Traffic is also a problem of Caloocan City. The dilapidated streets in North Caloocan (District I) and traffic lights problem as well as the congested District II will be addressed by Trillanes once elected as Caloocan City Mayor.
On the drug problem, Trillanes said, the market side of drugs is Caloocan-wide and the distribution side is in North Caloocan. He added that they will be busy and industrious in getting the hearts and minds of the people of Caloocan City.
Based on their internal surveys, Trillanes said they have a good fighting chance for the mayorship of Caloocan City.
