Palace: Duterte not destroying Trillanes, but his accusations

President Duterte has something “very substantial” up his sleeves to prove his allegations against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also clarified that what Duterte was seeking to “destroy” was Trillanes’ accusations and not the senator himself.

“From how I understand and know the President, he would come out with something very substantial. Exactly what, I cannot say…

He knows whereof he speaks,” Abella said in a press briefing.

“You know the President is a… very firm, forceful speaker. And he simply means to say that he wants to put a stop to these apparently wanton comments,” he said when asked what the President meant when he said he would destroy Trillanes.

“He wants to make sure that things do not become sheer, reckless accusations. As simple as that,” he added.

When reminded that Duterte had issued a similar threat to his critic Sen. Leila de Lima, who is now in jail over drug-related charges, Abella said: “But the person is not destroyed, you know.”

Pressed if Duterte would release information that could lead to the filing of charges against Trillanes, Abella replied: “He may come up with substantial evidence that will effectively put a stop to these things.”

Trillanes has been accusing Duterte of amassing ill-gotten wealth and maintaining secret bank accounts since the campaign period.

The senator has also linked Duterte’s son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio to corruption and smuggling at the customs bureau.

Denying the allegations, Duterte tried to turn the tables on Trillanes by accusing him of maintaining offshore bank accounts in Hong Kong, China, Australia and the United States and hiring hundreds of consultants.

Last year, Duterte threatened to “destroy” De Lima, a member of the opposition who launched a Senate inquiry into killings in the conduct of his war on illegal drugs.

He and his supporters also accused her of having a romantic affair with her married driver with alleged links to drug syndicates.

The President also accused De Lima of using drug money to fund her senatorial bid and of giving special privileges to convicted drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison.

De Lima, now detained on drug-related charges, has denied the allegations, describing them as politically motivated.