Palace says Trillanes is in US, hopes he doesn’t spread ‘biased’ info

Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is in the United States and had met with US Senator Marco Rubio.

While presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said Malacañang was not privy to Trillanes’ motive for going to the US, he said they received confirmation from Rubio that both senators had met.

“Per Senator Rubio’s press office, the two senators talked about issues concerning Philippine-US alliance, combating corruption, protecting human rights, and the government’s campaign. We do hope the correct information is given and not biased information designed to adversely affect Philippine-US relations,” he said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

“On whether the senator went to the US to ask some sectors to convince the US President not to visit [the Philippines], the Palace is not privy to that,” Abella also said.

Rubio, via Twitter, also confirmed his meeting with the Philippine senator.

Senator @TrillanesSonny & I discussed U.S.-#Philippines alliance, combating corruption & protecting #humanrights amid their narcotics crisis

— Senator Rubio Press (@SenRubioPress) October 17, 2017

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III said Trillanes had informed him about his US trip, but did not give details of his activities.

Rubio was one of the senators in December 2016 who called on the US Department of State to review its process of extending aid to the Philippines amid what they called "a campaign of mass atrocities" by the Duterte administration.

US President Donald Trump is expected to attend the 31st Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits in November. He is expected to arrive in Manila on November 12 and to join celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the US-ASEAN relations on November 13.

The White House also said that Trump will have a bilateral meeting with Duterte.

Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday night said that both sides were still finalizing when Trump and Duterte would meet.

"So, having said all of that, there are now coordination kung saan sila magkikita, saan mag-uusap: whether it’s in Vietnam or here," he told reporters in Camp Bagong Diwa.

"Pero the schedules are still all very complicated because ‘yung mga related meetings, iba-ibang country and everyone, the ASEAN, not only because of the 50th year, but because of how big our economy is, how we have gotten peace and stability, etc.," he added.

Both Duterte and Trump are expected to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam before the ASEAN Summit. — with Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/MDM, GMA News