Si Duterte at ang ‘di-umano’y Davao Mafia | Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV revealed that some retired Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel and Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni were tired of and no longer support President Rodrigo Duterte
In the latest PressOne.ph PressRoom podcast episode, Trillanes said some of these former military officials no longer defended the president in private messaging chat groups.
“Kung officers lang ang pinag-uusapan talaga wala na sa kanya, maliwanag yan e, dun sa viber group ng PMAyers, karamihan dun retired, pero parehas naman yung mentalidad nyan. Talagang binabanatan na dun si Duterte, kaliwa’t kanan. Walang nag-dedepensa na, kasi hindi na kadepedepensa, parang nakakahiya na eh,” Trillanes said.
The arch-critic of Duterte also claimed that the military could opt to withdraw their support for Duterte, but would rather let Duterte end his term in office.
“Kasi huli na e. Ngayon ang iniisip hayaan na natin matapos,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes noted that the AFP did not carry out the order of President Duterte to arrest him and subject him to court-martial back in 2018.
“Yun maliwanag kay Duterte na hindi kanya (ang) sandatahang lakas,” Trillanes said. “You have to give credit dun sa professionalism ng AFP,” he added.
Trillanes was arrested and sent to court-martial for his role in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Peninsula siege. The late former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III granted Trillanes amnesty.
In August 2018, President Duterte signed Proclamation No. 572 revoking the amnesty and ordered the arrest of Trillanes. The Regional Trial Court in Makati denied the request to have Trillanes arrested, stating that the coup d’état case was already dismissed last 2011. – Elan Karsten Castañares