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Duterte spokesperson Panelo rejects Trillanes allegations of unexplained wealth and China links, calling them lies and black propaganda against the Vice President.
MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday dismissed the latest allegations by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as repeated lies, according to spokesperson Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. Panelo said Trillanes has been spreading falsehoods about the Vice President and her family for years. The statement came a day after Trillanes alleged at a press conference that Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, received P150 million and P319 million respectively.
Trillanes Allegations and Duterte Response
According to Trillanes, the Vice President received money from the Chinese Embassy through her foundation, while Carpio received funds through a corporation. Panelo rejected these claims as fabricated. He cited Peter Joemel Advincula, also known as Bikoy, as an example. Advincula had accused former President Rodrigo Duterte and some family members of involvement in an illegal drug trade, but later recanted his allegations and accused Trillanes of being behind the plot.
Panelo also mentioned lawyer Jude Sabio, one of the first individuals to file crimes against humanity cases against former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC). Sabio later withdrew his case. The trial of the older Duterte before the ICC is set to begin in November.
Panelo said Trillanes malicious fabrications have been exposed at every turn by the very pawns he used to rely on. He added that because of these repeated, unmasked deceptions, the Filipino people have rightfully and overwhelmingly rejected Trillanes in every subsequent attempt to get elected back into public office.
Criticism of Marcos Administration and Impeachment
Panelo criticized the Marcos administration for giving a platform to Trillanes allegations. He also criticized Trillanes for not presenting these allegations before the Senate impeachment court, where he could have testified under oath. Panelo noted that Trillanes was not questioned by the defense team of the Vice President.
This sudden retreat is absolute proof that his claims cannot survive real legal scrutiny, and are nothing but black propaganda, which is par for the course for a professional character assassin, Panelo said.
Trillanes withdrew as a witness for the prosecution in the impeachment trial of Duterte in the Senate on Thursday. The former senator said he asked House prosecutors to withdraw him and that he would hold a press conference where he would reveal everything he had planned to disclose at the trial. Trillanes also claimed he was not being accepted at the impeachment trial, but impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol dismissed this.
Trillanes also claimed that Duterte failed to declare millions in time deposits in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2007 to 2010 when she was vice mayor of Davao City. Additionally, Trillanes claimed she did not declare millions of dollars worth of life insurance in her 2010 SALN.
The Vice President would gladly sue him for these endless fabrications, but we have already witnessed how those who actively peddle malicious lies against her and her family are openly protected and propped up by this administration, Panelo added.
Background on Trillanes and Duterte Feud
The feud between Trillanes and the Duterte family dates back to 2016, when Trillanes began accusing then-President Rodrigo Duterte of extrajudicial killings, fabricated drug links, imaginary unexplained wealth, baseless corruption allegations, and fictional China connections. Panelo said these same exhausted lies have been repeated since then. The Vice President has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The allegations come amid ongoing legal proceedings, including the ICC trial of former President Duterte scheduled for November. The impeachment trial in the Senate is also ongoing, though Trillanes has now withdrawn as a witness. The Duterte camp maintains that the allegations are politically motivated and part of a black propaganda campaign.
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