Former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV says he continues to speak out against the Dutertes in a bid to save “open-minded” Filipinos, and not “hopeless cultists”.
Trillanes had this to say Wednesday, April 22, right after serving as a resource person in the House Committee on Justice’s hearing on the determination of probable cause in the two active impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Vice President is the eldest daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Trillanes’ nemesis.
“Yung mga taong bukas pa ang pag-iisip, yung mga Pilipinong ganun, yun yung mga gusto nating mamulat. Kasi yun, may pag-asa pa yun. Yung mga kulto na nag paniniwala kau kay Duterte, wala na akong magagawa doon,” Trillanes said.
(Those whose minds remain open, those Filipinos—that’s who we want to awaken. Because they still have hope. As for the cult-like believers of Duterte, there’s nothing more I can do about them.)
“Sila, kung kulto sila, problema na nila yun. Alam mo, may mga kulto si Duterte na kahit bumaril si Duterte sa gitna ng EDSA ay sasambahin pa rin nila eh. Hindi ko na problema yun, problema nila yun,” said the retired Navy lieutenant.
(If they are a cult, that’s their problem. You know, Duterte has cult followers who would still worship him even if he shot someone in the middle of EDSA. That’s no longer my problem—it’s theirs.)
Drug money link?
During the hearing, Trillanes–in a sworn affidavit–linked bank transactions involving Vice President Duterte and other members of the Duterte family to alleged drug lord Samuel “Sammy” Uy.
Specifically, the ex-senator said the Vice President and her kin received or encashed P181.6 million in checks allegedly tied to Uy, in acts that he claimed amount to impeachable offenses including betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
Trillanes said breakdown are as follows: Sara Zimmerman Duterte, P22.3 million; Rodrigo Duterte, P15.6 million; Sebastian Duterte, P51.5 million; Paolo Duterte, P38.8 million; and Cielito S. Avanceña / Veronica Duterte, P53.2 million.
He alleged that records in his possession showed not just financial transactions involving the Vice President, but payouts and encashments extending to several members of the Duterte family from a figure he identified as Uy.
“Batay sa mga nabanggit na records, nalikom ko ang mga sumusunod na mahahalagang impormasyon, na nagpapakita na si Sara Duterte, at ang mga miyembro ng kanyang pamilya, kabilang na ang kanyang ama na si Rodrigo Duterte, ang common-law wife ni Rodrigo Duterte na si Honeylet Avanceña, kasama pa ang kanilang anak na si Kitty Duterte, ang mga kapatid niya na sina Pulong Duterte at Baste Duterte, ay tumanggap ng pera o nag-encash ng daan-daang milyong halaga ng mga cashier’s checks at/o mga personal checks mula sa isang kilalang Drug Lord na si Samuel Uy [na kilala rin bilang si ‘Sammy Uy’],” Trillanes said.
(Based on the records mentioned, I gathered the following important information showing that Sara Duterte and members of her family, including her father Rodrigo Duterte, Rodrigo Duterte’s common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña, their daughter Kitty Duterte, and her brothers Pulong Duterte and Baste Duterte, received money or encashed hundreds of millions worth of cashier’s checks and/or personal checks from a known drug lord, Samuel Uy [also known as ‘Sammy Uy’].)
He said a separate annex attached to his affidavit summarized the bank transactions that, according to him, reflected those payouts.
Trillanes also attempted to place Uy within a broader network by pointing to the businessman’s purported political and business links to former president Duterte and former Duterte economic adviser Michael Yang.
“Si Sammy Uy ay isang kilalang political contributor ni Rodrigo Duterte at kilalang kasama o kasosyo ni Michael Yang, ang dating Economic Adviser ni Rodrigo Duterte, na siya namang iniuugnay sa mga kontrobersya ng Pharmally [Pharmaceuticals] at POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators), gayundin sa bilyun-bilyong halaga ng mga ilegal na droga na nakumpiska sa isang bodega sa POGO Compound sa Porac, Pampanga,” he claimed.
(Sammy Uy is a well-known political contributor of Rodrigo Duterte and a recognized associate or partner of Michael Yang, Rodrigo Duterte’s former Economic Adviser, who has been linked to the controversies involving Pharmally Pharmaceuticals and POGO, as well as to billions worth of illegal drugs seized from a warehouse in the POGO Compound in Porac, Pampanga.)
