Trillanes calls Cayetano ‘political snake’ over remarks against Aquino admin

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano’s statement against the Aquino administration on how the latter handled the Panatag standoff, only proved that he is a “political snake,” Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes III said on Sunday.

In an open letter last week, Cayetano said that under former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s governance, the Philippines had “lost control over Scarborough and a great opportunity to expand tourism, infrastructure and agriculture.” He also said that Aquino, together with former Sec. Del Rosario and Trillanes “adopted and implemented an approach” that led the country “to lose many opportunities for cooperation in fields like science and technology and protection of the environment.”

But this did not sit right with Trillanes, as he stressed that Cayetano was pertaining to happenings that transpired in 2012, a time when the latter was still a “loyal ally” of Aquino.

“He never saw anything with how PNoy resolved it then,” Trillanes said, mentioning that he too was once defended by Cayetano.

“In fact, I clearly remember telling him, as well as the other senators then, of the gist of my mission as backchannel negotiator. For that matter, I had multiple media interviews about it but, again, Cayetano never saw anything wrong with it then,” he said.

Trillanes detailed the “facts and circumstances” of what really happened back then and stressed that he “will not allow Cayetano to twist them”.

He then left a question to Cayetano and “his boss” President Rodrigo Duterte, “Why aren’t you fighting for our sovereignty the way you promised during the campaign?”

(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 08/ 06 /18)