MANILA (2nd UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte's son, Paolo Duterte, has filed a libel case against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a year after the senator accused him of corruption.
Trillanes, in 2017, claimed Paolo Duterte and brother-in-law Manases Carpio were involved in a scheme to extort money from ride-hailing firms.
In an affidavit filed Thursday, the younger Duterte accused Trillanes of libel after the latter accused him of corruption and extortion involving ride-hailing services, the Road Board and the Department of Public Works and Highways, in a radio interview with DYAB Cebu's Leo Lastimosa last September 8, 2017.
According to Paolo Duterte, it was in September 2017 when Carpio showed to him a video of Trillanes' radio interview.
"Watching it, I was aghast to hear the respondent maliciously accusing me and my brother-in-law, Atty. Manases Carpio, of supposed rampant and widespread corruption and extortion. Admittedly, this based on sheer information fed to him, the identity of whom, however, he did not identify nor disclose," he said in his affidavit.
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
The president's son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte filed a libel case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes. Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News
PAOLO VS. SONNY
It was in December 2017 when Paolo Duterte and Carpio first lodged a P6.6-million "damage suit" against Trillanes on the same issue.
Prior to the filing of the "damage suit," Trillanes has also accused the former Davao City vice mayor of involvement in smuggling and being a member of a drug triad, citing a supposed tattoo on his back as proof.
TRILLANES' LEGAL WOES
Paolo's case against the senator was the newest among the many legal woes of Trillanes, who is facing arrest after the issuance of Duterte's Proclamation 572 that voided his amnesty.
The former Navy lieutenant has been holed up in his office at the Senate since Tuesday, as Malacanang claimed the soldier-turned-lawmaker failed to formally apply for the amnesty and admit his guilt, a prerequisite to an amnesty.
Trillanes however dismissed the allegations and presented documents relevant to his amnesty grant such as the Department of National Defense's 2011 list of amnesty applicants which included his name.
No warrant of arrest has been issued against Trillanes as of writing.
But two local courts have already been asked by the Department of Justice to issue an arrest warrant and hold departure order on the argument that the nullification of Trillanes' amnesty means all cases against the senator must be pursued and that he must be arrested.
The Makati RTC Branch 148 is the court that handled the coup d'etat case of Trillanes and his fellow mutineers over the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny.
Branch 150 meanwhile handled the rebellion case of Trillanes and his fellow mutineers over the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege.
Both courts dismissed the charges against Trillanes after then-President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III granted him amnesty.
- with reports from Hernel Tocmo, Katrina Domingo, Ina Reformina and Jasmin Romero, ABS-CBN News