Trillanes to Duterte: Keep my sick 84-year-old ma out of feud

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV scored Tuesday President Rodrigo Duterte for dragging his 84-year old mother into the fray.

"Ang mother ko ay 84 years old na. May advance stage ng Parkinson's disease. Hindi ko maisip kung bakit ida-drag ni Mr. Duterte aking magulang dito sa laban namin," Trillanes told reporters when asked by reporters on the statement of the President.

"You stick with me Mr Duterte, dahil wala ka nang maibato sa akin ida-drag mo pa sila rito," he added.

He said that his father retired from the Philippine Navy in 1988 and died in 1998.

Trillanes said his parents raised them well.

"Ang aking nanay ay walang kaso, walang impropriety. Pinalaki kami nang maayos. Siguro kung may kurakot man sa kanila e kurakot din ako pero hindi," Trillanes said.

Asked if his mother had dealings with the Navy as alleged by Duterte, Trillanes said he would not know as he was still in high school when his father was in the service.

He reiterated that Duterte should not drag other people into the issue.

"Kung me problema sa akin, stick with me,ñ. Huwag mong idadamay ang nanay ko, personalan na yan, huwag ka pumunta dun. Hindi gawain ng tunay na lalaki 'yan," Trillanes said.

Duterte on Tuesday accused the parents of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV of having supply transactions with the Navy when Trillanes and his father were still in the military service.

Duterte made the allegations on the day Trillanes sought a Senate investigation on the multi-billion-peso government contracts secured by Secretary Christopher “Bong” Go's father and half-brother under the Duterte administration.

“And problema rito kay Trillanes, he is crucifying Bong Go for entering business with government. Let's look at history. Si Trillanes, 'yung tatay niya, nung nasa serbisyo pa, saka siya nung sundalo na siya, 'yung nanay niya, [may] transaksyon sa supply sa Navy ang nanay niya," Duterte said in a nationally televised interview with chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo.

"Ayaw niyo maniwala? Tanungin niyo 'yung Navy. Kung ganyan ang gusto niyong leader, go to Trillanes. Is that a kind of leader na gusto ninyo? Sumampa na kayo roon,” he added.

The President also accused Trillanes of living a lavish lifestyle due to corruption.

“Una talaga is the lifestyle. Di makaintay. 'Yung iba, kapitan pa lang, suddenly may big house, sa subdivision, three big houses. Maraming bahay ['yan si Trillanes] sikreto lang,” Duterte said. —NB, GMA News