(Eagle News)–Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is only “pretending to be a crusading soldier.”
This is according to President Rodrigo Duterte, who gave a speech upon his arrival in the country from Jordan and Israel, where he was on official visit.
“And now, he is taking the cudgels of the military, but he has not only abandoned the vision of the military, he became corrupt by collecting sa mga negosyante. Para siyang abogado,” Duterte said.
Duterte said the senator only made soldiers believe he was “all for the military.”
“Siya, military siya, malapit siya kay (former President Benigno Aquino III) nandiyan si Volts (Gazmin). Now, they say they love their fellow soldier, really? Nagpakita ba sila minsan sa Marawi, when lot of my soldiers and policemen were dying?” he asked.
This, Duterte said, was in contrast to what he did for the soldiers, whose salary he also doubled only after he said it once during the campaign.
“Tingnan mo, sa panahon ni Volts nandiyan si Trillanes, nagka-increase ba ang sweldo ang sundalo maski na five percent?” Duterte asked.
Amid rumors he would be arrested following the issuance of Proclamation No. 572 that declared void ab initio the amnesty granted to him, Trillanes urged the military to refrain from following “illegal orders” from Duterte.
The Palace blasted his statement, with Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras also saying he would file charges against Trillanes for goading soldiers to mount an uprising against Duterte.