Somebody might shoot Trillanes someday —Duterte

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV might just see himself shot someday due to his "arrogance" and "tough" behavior, President Rodrigo Duterte has said.

In his speech in Cebu City on Thursday, Duterte lashed out anew at Trillanes, one of his fiercest critics, as he commented on his supposed behavior that might lead to him being shot "someday."

"You know how politicians are. Trillanes is always trying to act tough and threatening and thinks he’s better than he is," the President said.

Duterte said Trillanes "feels confident" just because he was a part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

"He feels confident because he’s from the Armed Forces, the Navy. But who would believe him? He likes to fight a lot. He was part of the Magdalo before and was pardoned by [former President Benigno] Aquino. Now look what happened. He’s always calling for a fight," he said.

"He believes that he’s the only tough one around because nobody fought him back. But there will come a day that someone will shoot him because he’s arrogant," he added.

Trillanes was part of the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny. He availed of amnesty offered by then President Benigno Aquino III.

The senator, however, stood firm on his principle of fighting "the crooked, the corrupt, the oppressors and abusers of power" like Duterte.

"I have never bullied the helpless and innocent," he said in a statement released on Sunday.

But Trillanes said that only Duterte wants him dead, and if somebody would shoot him, it would only lead to the President.

"Only Duterte would want me dead because it irks him that somebody dared to stand toe to toe with him. My  standing up to him makes him look weak and powerless, which is contrary to his objective of making the whole Filipino society afraid of him," he said.

"Go ahead, Mr. Duterte, order somebody to shoot me and, I assure you, it would lead to your end," he added. —Erwin Colcol/KG, GMA News