President Rodrigo Duterte has linked the mother of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to the supposedly anomalous purchase of substandard Kevlar helmets for soldiers in 1998.
In his speech in Davao Friday, Duterte said the transaction involved as well alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles.
“If there was something wrong, if there was money there, it’s from Trillanes, The number one in graft and corruption at the PMA [Philippine Military Academy]—his father and even his mother,” he said.
Without supplying evidence to back up his claim, the President accused the senator’s mother, Estelita, of being involved in supply transactions with the Philippine Navy when Trillanes and his father were still in the military service.
“The one who delivered them [helmets] were Trillanes’ mother and Napoles. That’s the truth. That’s why Trillanes reviewed it,’ Duterte said.
Trillanes earlier slammed Duterte for dragging his mother, who is suffering from advanced Parkinson’s disease, into their political squabble.
The opposition senator stressed there are no cases were filed against his mother.
“If my parents were indeed involved in those allegedly anomalous transactions, that should have already been used against me during the term of then President Gloria Arroyo,” Trillanes said.
“Nonetheless, I challenge Duterte to do his best in investigating and we will be ready to face him,” the senator added.
Napoles was charged in 2001 with graft and malversation of public funds over the allegedly anomalous purchase of 500 Kevlar helmets worth P3.8 million.
The case, however, was dismissed a year after for lack of probable cause. Napoles was eventually cleared of the charges with finality in 2010.
