Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged that allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte financed the recent press conference of 18 individuals who claimed to have served as “bagmen” delivering cash to lawmakers and high-ranking government officials.
In an interview with BNC, Trillanes said the supposed objective of the Duterte camp was to undermine the ongoing proceedings before the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the former president, who faces charges of crimes against humanity.
He claimed the timing of the press conference, held days before the anniversary of the EDSA People Power Revolution, was deliberate and intended to create political noise while developments were unfolding in The Hague.
“Imagine, they held this on Tuesday while proceedings were ongoing in The Hague. These allegations supposedly date back to the third quarter of last year. If they were truly courageous, they should have come out then,” Trillanes said.
He added that at the time the alleged incidents supposedly occurred, there were no rumors or discussions linking the matter to the ICC.
The former lawmaker further claimed that the move was part of a broader political agenda, which he believes includes efforts to remove President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from office and replace him with Vice President Sara Duterte.
“They were agitating and hoping this would trigger public outrage and spark protests during the EDSA anniversary. But that didn’t happen because the credibility was indeed questionable,” Trillanes said in a mix of Filipino and English.
Previously, lawyer Levi Baligod, who drafted the affidavit of the 18 supposed former Marines and Navy personnel, admitted to an error in including the name of Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who was not yet a member of Congress during the period when the alleged delivery of money to lawmakers supposedly took place.
Trillanes maintained that the inclusion of De Lima’s name was not the only issue: “The whole thing is a big mistake, and we will not let this pass. We will make sure they face the consequences of their actions. Their agenda is obvious. They thought it was some kind of media or publicity coup, but it backfired because their credibility has been seriously questioned.”
