Paolo Duterte slaps Trillanes with libel suit anew

The complaint, this time, accuses the opposition senator of committing libel during his media interviews on CNN Philippines on June 14 and DZMM on June 6. (File photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV is facing yet another libel complaint filed by President Rodrigo Duterte’s eldest son before the Davao City Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, September 19.

The complaint, this time, accuses the opposition senator of committing libel during his media interviews on CNN Philippines on June 14 and DZMM on June 6.

Trillanes, in both interviews, accused former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte of involvement in the P6.4 billion worth of shabu (crystal meth) shipment from China that slipped into the country in 2017. The younger Duterte, however, had denied the allegation.

This new libel complaint came two days after the Presidential son and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, filed separate libel complaints against their father’s vocal critic.

The Presidential son earlier accused Trillanes of making “downright false, baseless, and unfounded” claims after the latter, in a radio interview with DYAB Cebu in September 2017, said the younger Duterte and Carpio conspired with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in extorting car-hailing company Uber and other similar companies.

Apart from this, the younger Duterte also said Trillanes linked their names on the corruption and extortion issue where the Road Board and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) were also involved.

Trillanes’s lawyer Reynaldo Robles, also on Wednesday, said they will seek the dismissal of the complaints for lack of jurisdiction.

“Ang question ho namin d’yan bakit ho sa Davao City naka-file ‘yung kaso (Our question is why was the case filed in Davao City)? All of the allegations of the complaint we just received, ang elements nangyari sa Cebu, pati mga testigo sa Cebu. Sa tingin ho namin walang jurisdiction ang piskalya ng Davao (All of the allegations of the complaint we just received, the elements happened in Cebu, even the witnesses are in Cebu. We think that the Davao City fiscal has no jurisdiction),” Robles told reporters.

While labelling such move as another way to ‘harass’ him, Trillanes earlier said he would fly to Duterte’s hometown to answer the complaints filed against him if it is needed.

[READ: Trillanes says Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio’s libel case meant to ‘harass’ him]

The senator has been staying inside the upper chamber’s premises, after the Chief Executive issued on September 4 his Proclamation No. 527 that seeks to void his amnesty.

Trillanes previously said he will not step out of the Senate until the issue on the revocation of his amnesty is resolved.