Trillanes admits he once considered Tiu a ‘good man’

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday admitted that he once considered businessman Antonio Tiu, the alleged dummy of Vice President Jejomar Binay and who has filed a defamation case against him,  a "good man," as shown in the video that circulated on the Internet.

However, that changed when, according to Trillanes, Tiu used him and other administration allies to  legitimize the “dummy layering” of a sprawling property in Batangas that is supposedly owned by Binay.

“As a friend, I put in good words for him not knowing that we, as PNOY allies, were already being used to legitimize the dummy layering by Sunchamp of the Hacienda Binay,” he said in a statement.

Sunchamp was Sunchamp Agri-Business Park, a 350-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas, that Tiu said he owns although Trillanes and several former Makati officials said belongs to Binay and his family.

WATCH: Trillanes calls alleged VP Binay dummy ‘good friend’ at Sunchamp launch

Trillanes said he already manifested in the October 8 hearing of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that he had been to and already saw the controversial property when it was launched in August.

“I have been to the Hacienda Binay when I was invited to the launching of Sunchamp, along with Sec. Kiko Pangilinan and Sec. Gil Delos Reyes last Aug 5, 2014. I knew Tony Tiu then as a good man and a legitimate businessman,” he said.

“Now, after learning that Tony Tiu is nothing but a dummy of Vice President Binay, things have changed. And whatever friendship we had then won't stop me from unmasking him,” he added.

Tiu, in an interview with reporters Thursday, said he considers Trillanes as his friend.

“Parehas kami ng eskwelahan, parehas ang mga teacher namin, parehas ang mga barkada namin... sa university siya kasama ko. Actually itinuturing ko talaga siya na kaibigan,” he said.

He admitted donating P150,000 for the campaign kitty of Trillanes. He did not say when he made the donation.

Asked if he still considers Trillanes as his friend, the businessman said: “Kung ituturing niya akong kaibigan, okay, kung hindi, eh di hindi. Wala po akong kaaway. Hindi ko rin po kayang kaawayin ang Senado, mamamayan lang tayo, maliit na tao lang tayo paano naman tayo lalaban sa mga makapangyarihan sa Senado.”

Tiu has filed a P4-million defamation case against Trillanes for calling him a dummy of Binay, who is accused of having hidden wealth.

Tiu claimed that the statements made by the senator have affected his businesses, particularly his two publicly-listed companies, which saw a decrease in share prices. — Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News