(Eagle News)–Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has denied he owed lawyer Jude Sabio P700,000 in lawyer’s fees, and was behind the Ang Totoong Narcolist videos as the lawyer claimed.
In a statement, Trillanes said it was clear in an interview of Sabio, who was responsible for filing a case against President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court, that “hindi ako ang nagpagawa sayo ng billing na yan at hindi rin ako ang kliyente mo.”
“Si Edgar Matobato ang kliyente mo at maliwanag sa ating lahat na pro bono ang engagement nyo dahil hindi nya naman kayang magbayad,” Trillanes said, referring to the man who claimed he was a member of the supposed Davao Death Squad responsible for extrajudicial killings in Davao.
Matobato had claimed President Rodrigo Duterte was behind the DDS but senators probing his claims dismissed them, noting Matobato’s inconsistencies.
According to Trillanes, in any case, he “helped” Sabio in his “human rights work” by giving him P50,000 to P100,000 a month since late 2016 until Trillanes left office on June 30.
He said the “help” could not be considered a retainer as he had his own lawyer.
Trillanes said he also paid for Sabio’s plane ticket to and from The Hague where the ICC is located, and gave him money for medicines, rent, and even his Mandatory Continuing Legal Education seminars, among others.
Trillanes also denied he was behind the videos against Presisent Duterte’s family and Peter Joemel Advincula, the yellow-hooded character in the videos, noting that Sabio himself quoted the former senator as telling him that Advincula had “different handlers” who were asking for help to look for a lawyer.
“Hindi ba maliwanag yun na I’m not directly involved with him?” Trillanes asked.
He, nevertheless, sympathized with Sabio, who he said he knew to be experiencing financial and physical problems, and pressure from his loved ones.
“[K]apit lang. Tiwala lang. Dasal lang. Sayang ang mga naiambag mo sa laban para sa mga karapatang pantao,” Trillanes said.
“Hayaan mo, balang araw sa malapit-lapit na hinaharap ay lilipas din itong mga pagsubok na to at magkikita tayong muli at masayang babalikan natin ang mga mabigat na yugtong ito na magaan ang dibdib at may matiwasay na pagiisip sa pagkakaalam na nakapaglingkod tayo sa Inang Bayan,” Trillanes added.
