Former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV on Monday accused President Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go of plunder involving P6.6 billion in road projects.
Trillanes pointed to road widening and concreting projects in the Davao region allegedly cornered by contractors CLTG Builders and Alfredo Builders Supply, supposedly owned by Go’s father Deciderio Go and half-brother Alfredo Go, respectively.
CLTG corresponds to the initials of Go, whose full name is Christopher Lawrence Tesoro Go.
“Pag i-total ang mga projects na nakuha ng tatay at ng half-brother ni Bong Go, ito ay aabot sa 6.6 billion pesos. Specifically, 1.5 billion pesos nung mayor pa lang si Duterte sa Davao City, habang 5.1 billion pesos worth of projects naman ang nakuha ng pamilya ni Bong Go nung unang dalawang taon pa lang ng pagkapresidente ni Duterte,” Trillanes said in a video posted on social media.
Trillanes said that under Article 7, Section 13 of the 1987 Constitution, the president and Cabinet members cannot have financial interest in any government contract. Go was the president’s special assistant, a Cabinet post, before he became senator.
CLTG Builders got 125 projects from March 2007 to May 2018 amounting to P4.89 billion while Alfredo Builders obtained 59 projects from June 2007 to July 2018 amounting to P1.74 billion, said the former senator.
Trillanes said his claims were based on documents from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Commission on Audit.
Go denied benefitting from the construction deals and said the contracts won by his relatives were aboveboard.
“Bagama’t hindi ko naman mapigilan ang isang marangal at lehitimong negosyo dahil nakapagbibigay ito ng maayos na trabaho at kabuhayan sa mga tao, hinding-hindi ako nakikialam d’yan, wala akong benepisyong nakukuha dyan, at mas lalong walang tulong o advantage na nakukuha ‘yan mula sa akin dahil may delicadeza ako na ihiwalay ang aking pamilya sa aking tungkulin sa gobyerno,” he said in a statement. Kelsey Telo