Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. File/Composite
MALAKING KALOKOHAN: Senator Antonio Trillanes IV denied Wednesday accusations that he masterminded the stabbing of high-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian inside the national penitentiary.
In an interview with DZMM, Trillanes rejected the claim of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II that Tomas Doniña, the man who tried to stab Sebastian, had said he acted on orders of Trillanes and Senator Leila de Lima.
"I categorically deny any involvement diyan sa sinasabing stabbing incident diyan. Malaking kalokohan po ‘yan. Wala pong dahilan bakit ko gagawin ‘yan," the senator said.
(I categorically deny any involvement in that stabbing incident. That is nonsense. There is no reason for me to do that.)
"Alam niyo, itong DOJ ni Aguirre, ito yung bagong script nila kasi alam nila na wala naman silang mahahanap sa akin, so kailangan, ganito na lang. Maliwanag ito na political harassment para patahimikin ako, pero hindi. Kabaliktaran ang mangyayari nito dahil nagsimula sila ng gulo ngayon. Siguraduhin nilang tatapusin nila yan."
(You know, Aguirre's DOJ, this is their new script because they know that there is nothing they can find on me, so they have to resort to this. This is clearly political harassment to silence me, but no. The opposite shall happen because they started a fight. They better make sure they can finish it.)
Instead of backing down, Trillanes said he has filed a resolution seeking for a Senate investigation on the stabbing incident so he can face Aguirre and the convicts.
"Makikita ninyo kung gaano malaking kalokohan itong script na ito kapag pinatawag na yan sa Senado, at itong si Aguirre, hindi natin palulusutin yan," he said.
(You will see how big of a nonsense this script is when we call them to the Senate; and Aguirre, we won't let him slide.)
The senator said Aguirre only linked him and De Lima to the stabbing to make headlines and mar their reputations.
Aguirre earlier said Doniña, in his affidavit, said that a Navy officer instructed him to attack Sebastian, who was slated to appear before a congressional hearing in October.
Trillanes denied the allegation, asserting that he does not know Doniña.
He also pointed out Aguirre admitted there is insufficient evidence to charge the two legislators.
"Bakit niya minention? Talagang pinalutang lang yung pangalan para siyempre ikalat sa social media o pag-usapan. Ganun lang, para madungisan lang; pero siya mismo ang nagsabi na walang sapat na ebidensya, pero minention niya e," he said.
(So why mention it? He floated our names of course, to circulate it in social media or to be talked about. That's all, to defile us; but he himself said that there is no sufficient evidence, but he mentioned it.)
Aguirre, for his part, maintained that the topic naturally flowed during the press conference, when reporters asked for updates on the investigation on the stabbing incident.
"Sabi ko, merong finile sa CIDG at hindi ko masyadong alam yan, pero ang alam ko ay yung pinaghihinalaan nila dyan ay yung Doniña nga, yung nagsabi na parang inutusan siya ng isang Philippine Navy," he said in a separate DZMM interview.
"To be fair to the two, I immediately added na 'yun lamang ang background ng pagkaka-banggit, kung bakit ko nabanggit ang pangalan nina Senator Trillanes and Senator De Lima," he added.
Nevertheless, Aguirre maintained that per his recollection, the names of the two solons were really mentioned in Doniña's affidavit.
Aguirre also rejected Trillanes' claim that he and De Lima were linked to the incident to malign the two senators.
"'Yun ang hinala niya at yun ang style niya...Kung ako ay inaakusahan niya na nagma-manufacture para lang mapag-usapan sa media, hindi po. Siya yun," he said.
'MANININGIL NA TAYO'
Trillanes believes he is being harassed now that the administration's six months are up, and he will stringently follow-up on President Rodrigo Duterte's campaign promises.
"Alam nilang ngayong January, tapos na yung six months nila. Maniningil na tayo kasi hindi na pwede yung mga salita-salita lang na kung anu-anong pangako, pero ang daming napako," he said.
(They know that this January, their six months is up and we will demand payment because words will not work anymore; they promised so much, but failed on many too.)
"Ngayon, ire-remind lahat ng mga kababayan natin dito sa mga kasinungalingan, mga kalokohan na pangako nila. Binola nila talaga, nilinlang nila yung mga kababayan natin na six months," he added.
(Now, we will remind the Filipinos on these lies, these promises they made. They rounded the heads of our countrymen, deceived them in the last six months.)
DZMM, Antonio Trillanes IV, Leila de Lima, Vitaliano Aguirre II, New Bilibid Prison, drugs, Jaybee Sebastian