PRRD hits opposition, Trillanes for doing nothing but politicking

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte joins his fellow leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries in the virtual 27th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the Malacañang Palace on November 20, 2020. TOTO LOZANO/ PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte lashed back at the opposition and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for “doing nothing but politicking” with only one year and five months left before the 2022 elections.

“The things that you would know, huwag kayong maniwala diyan sa oposisyon. Walang ginawa ‘yan, gusto lang ‘yang bumalik (Don’t believe the opposition. They did nothing, they just want to return),” Duterte said in his Talk to the People late Wednesday night.

Duterte said the opposition dwells on negative issues to make it appear that his present administration has done nothing to address the country’s problems.

“Ito wala itong ginawa kung hindi mamulitika. Tama ‘yung sabi ni Bong (They do nothing but politicking. [Senator] Bong [Go] is correct that ‘If you want to appear white, you paint the other person black.’ Painting the other guy black so that you would appear white. Iyan ang ginagawa nila. Pinipinturahan kami ng itim para bumango sila, maputi sila (That’s what they are doing. They paint us black so that they will appear white),” Duterte said.

He lambasted Trillanes for saying that the President must be “trembling in fear” after International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office released a report saying there was “reasonable basis” to believe the Duterte administration committed crimes against humanity in the campaign against illegal drugs.

“Wala itong ginawa kung hindi mag-exhibition. Wala itong nagawa kung hindi manira ng tao (He [Trillanes] did nothing but to display himself. He did nothing but to defame other people),” Duterte said.

Duterte said he is not afraid to be imprisoned and even die for his principles.

“Kung iyang prinsipyo ko na ‘yan ikamatay ko, okay ‘yan sa akin. Ipakulong ako habangbuhay, okay sa akin ‘yan. Ginagawa ko ang tama (If those principles will be the death of me, it’s fine by me. If I’m sentenced to life imprisonment, it’s fine as long as I did what was right),” he said.

He said Trillanes won as senator in 2007 while in jail due to “backlash” in the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“Nanalo ka dahil ‘yung backlash ng sa administration. Tapos noon sabihin mo akala mo kung sino ka magsalita. As if you are also… Hindi ka naman summa cum laude. Ewan ko kung na cum laude ka o pareho ka lang sa akin 75 (You won because backlash in the administration. You boastfully spoken then as if you are a summa cum laude. I don’t know if you are cum laude or we have the same grade of 75),” Duterte said.

Duterte said if Trillanes is intelligent, why wasn’t he elected as President.

“Trillanes, kung bright ka sa akin, kung mas marunong ka, ikaw na sana ang nagdadaldal dito, hindi ako. Iyan ang totoo (Trillanes, if you’re brighter than me, if you’re better, you should be talking here, not me. That’s the truth),” he said.

He also criticized the former senator for linking presidential son, former Davao City vice mayor Paolo “Polong” Duterte to the illegal drug trade.

“Tapos sabi dito, turo dito, drug lord dito, drug lord doon. Pati ‘yung mga anak ko, pati ‘yung anak ko na maliit, dalagita. Anong nangyari? Wala ni isa. May napakulong ka ba, Trillanes? Sino? Sinong napakulong mo? O nandiyan pa rin sila (Then you keep on accusing drug lord here and there, including my son, even my daughter. What happened? You have not proven, even one. Have you sent someone to jail? They are still there),” Duterte said.