Trillanes: Ex-Marines’ allegations meant to sabotage ICC hearing on Duterte case

Allegations that investigators of the International Criminal Court (ICC) were assisted by some Philippine government officials are meant to sabotage the confirmation of charges hearing against Rodrigo Duterte, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Thursday.

“Ang intention dito is to sabotage the whole ICC proceedings, compromised lahat sasabihin nila, eh di, idi-dismiss 'yung kaso. Hindi ako magugulat na gamitin ito ni [defense counsel Nicolas] Kaufman para humingi siya ng mistrial,” Trillanes said. 

(The intention is to sabotage the whole proceedings, to allege that everything they say is compromised, so that the case will be dismissed. I would not be surprised if Kaufman uses this to ask for a mistrial.)

On Tuesday, some 18 supposed former members of the Philippine Marines claimed that Trillanes facilitated the entry of at least five ICC investigators, with some of them delivering monies to the former senators for the investigators’ expenses. 

Trillanes neither confirmed nor denied he facilitated this entry of the investigators but said if ever anyone does, it was not a violation of any law. 

“‘Yung mga ganyang operations ng ICC talagang classified ‘yun. Hindi pwedeng pag-usapan, dahil it would involve lives ‘nung mga investigators and witnesses na kausap nila. The way they’re presenting it is as though there is a crime committed,” he said.

(The ICC's operations are definitely classified. They can't be discussed openly, because it would involve the lives of the investigators and the witnesses they speak to.)

The soldiers also alleged that former House Appropriations Committee chair and former congressman Zaldy Co provided the investigators with accommodation and vehicles to go to areas where extrajudicial killings were committed. 

They further claimed that the investigators met with Trillanes, Co, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, then-Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, and then-Philippine National Police chief Police General Nicolas Torre III. 

Trillanes denied receiving money or holding meetings.

“Walang mga meetings na ganun in relation sa ICC operations. Ako definitively sinasabi ko na, walang binigay na pera sa akin, wala akong natatanggap na pera para sa ICC man or kung para saan,” he said. 

(There were no meetings in relation to ICC operations. And I definitively say that no money was given to me. I did not receive any money, whether for the ICC or anything else.)

Trillanes said the soldiers may be violating Article 17 of the Rome Statute by obstructing justice. 

“In-expose ba nila ‘yan, yung mga pangalan ng testigo, ‘yung mga itsura ng mga testigo, para matunton ng mga tropa ni Digong para mapigilan ang kaso sa The Hague? Inilalagay nila sa peligro buhay nila, bawal ‘yan. Tawag d’yan ay obstruction of justice,” he said.

(Did they expose the names and faces of the witnesses to be located by Duterte's supporters, to stop the case in The Hague? Their lives have been put in danger. That's not allowed. That's called obstruction of justice.) — BM, GMA Integrated News