President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday night he will summon the mother of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV over her alleged anomalous dealings with the Philippine Navy.
In his speech during the general assembly of local government leaders at the League of Municipalities of the Philippines, Duterte said the government had the power to summon Trillanes’ mother.
“You went overboard. We will initiate an investigation like you, and I will subpoena your mother whether you like it or not,” Duterte said.
“You may say we have no power, there is. We also have the contempt power, but we have to go to court.”
But Trillanes said Duterte would just end up embarrassing himself again if he subpoenas his mother.
“Duterte is threatening to subpoena my mother. Just do it and let it be another humiliating episode for you like the fake offshore bank accounts you alleged against me,” Trillanes said in a statement.
Duterte’s statement was in connection with the government’s investigation into the supposed business dealings of Trillanes’ mother, Estelita, with the Philippine Navy.
Trillanes then hit back at the President for not showing “a shred of evidence” to back up his claims.
“Since September last year, Duterte has been saying that he asked different agencies to investigate the supposed anomalous transactions of my mother. But up to now, he has yet to show even a shred of evidence to prove his baseless allegations,” Trillanes said.
“Now Duterte is threatening to subpoena my mother. Just do it and let it be another humiliating episode for you like the fake offshore bank accounts you alleged against me.
“The difficult thing with Duterte is since he can’t harass me, he is now singling out my sick mother. Go ahead, do your worst while I count the days.”
At the height of the President’s revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty in September 2018, Duterte claimed Trillanes’ mother had supply transactions with the Philippine Navy when the lawmaker and his father were still in the military service.
A month after that, the President said the supposed dealings were being investigated.
Trillanes has since slammed Duterte for dragging his 84-year-old mother, who currently suffers from advanced Parkinson’s disease, into their political quarrels.