Trillanes to call for probe on Atong Ang's allegations vs. Aguirre, Esperon

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday said he will call for a Senate investigation on the allegation of gambling operator Charlie "Atong" Ang that two Cabinet officials are plotting to have him killed.

In a text message, Trillanes said Ang's "highly controversial statements warrant a Senate investigation."

He said he will file a resolution once Congress resumes session on May 2.

"The allegations are very serious and we are not in a position [to] dismiss it outright," Trillanes, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, said.

In a report on "24 Oras," Ang said he received the threats because of the continued operation of virtual jai-alai numbers game through Meridien Vista Gaming Corporation, where he serves as consultant and general manager.

Aguirre had dismissed Ang's allegations as "complete fabrications."

Ang claimed that the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office wants Meridien's operations stopped because of conflicts with small-town lottery (STL). He further alleged that Aguirre and his engineer sibling, Ogie Aguirre, controlled STL operations from Batangas to Bicol.

A separate newspaper report said Ang also linked National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and some members of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1982 to the alleged kill plot. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/KBK, GMA News