MANILA – Davao City 1st District’s Cong. Paolo Duterte welcomed the drug smuggling charges filed against him by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
In a statement, Duterte said it is better that he can answer the accusations of the “witless and useless soldier” Trillanes in a proper forum, instead of in “the court of the Facebook.”
“This is a welcome development. Mas maganda ito dahil sa korte ng Pilipinas ang pagdinig at hindi sa korte ng Facebook at utak ng isang trililing na sundalong kanin,” Duterte said in a statement
“This move will allow us to address these accusations through the proper legal channels, ensuring that the truth will prevail,” the former presidential son added.
Trillanes on Wednesday filed drug smuggling charges before the Department of Justice against Duterte, former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband Atty. Mans Carpio and others over the P6.4-billion shabu shipment seized in Valenzuela City in 2017.
Also named in the complaint are former Presidential Adviser on Indigenous Peoples’ Concerns Allen Capuyan, Davao City Councilor Small Abellera, Charlie Tan, and four others.
In a 47-page complaint, Trillanes cited the legislative inquiry held in 2017 at the Senate which led to the filing of criminal charges against Chen Ju Long, aka Richard Tan, and Mark Taguba in connection with the shipment of shabu inside the vessel Guang Ping Voyage No. 1719S which arrived at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) of the Bureau of Customs in Tondo on May 2017.
The shipment went through the Bureau of Customs express lane and the shabu shipment left the MICP International Container Terminal Services Inc. in a vehicle registered under Golden Strike Logistics Inc. owned by Taguba.
Duterte maintained that he is innocent of the accusations, which was first made in 2018, and he is optimistic that his name will be cleared by the courts.
“I have always maintained my innocence, and I am confident that the judicial process will clear my name. It is important to rely on our legal institutions rather than resorting to trial by publicity or baseless allegations,” Duterte said./PN
