TRILLANES FILES GRAFT CASE AGAINST DUTERTE, GO

(UPDATE) FORMER senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed graft and plunder cases against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go on Friday before the Department of Justice (DoJ).

In his complaint, Trillanes cited an investigative journalism series by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) entitled "Build, Build, Build Hits Chokepoint," which was first published on Sept. 6, 2018.

He said the "landmine of disturbing information" exposes the top contractors in the Davao Region, particularly the CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders & Supply, which are allegedly owned by Go's father, Deciderio, and his half-brother, Alfredo.

Trillanes said the article "discussed, among others, how the two mid- and bottom-tiered contractors were able to successfully secure billions of pesos worth of government infrastructure projects with the DPWH despite their limited financial and operational capacity and the extended delays and unfinished public works of said construction firms, to the prejudice of the government and the people of Davao."

He said he filed on Sept. 12, 2018, a Proposed Resolution before the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Regulation calling for an inquiry into the anomalies exposed by the article.

Trillanes said he also requested the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Commission on Audit (CoA) on Oct. 2, 2018, to furnish his office with pertinent documents concerning CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders & Supply, as well as audit reports and other records pertaining to the contracts between the Department of Public Works and Highways and the construction firms.

The documents submitted by the CoA corroborated the article's finding that CLTG Builders "has been awarded P4.6 billion worth of projects, all from the DPWH, in the past decade," Trillanes said.

From 2005 to early 2016, Alfrego Builders & Supply won P88 million worth of projects and was able "to carry out projects worth a total of half a billion pesos" through joint venture, he further alleged.

The CoA records also revealed that from 2007 to 2018, at least P6.6 billion worth of government contracts were awarded to CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders & Supply, combined.

He said an extrapolation of the CoA figures revealed that from March 2007 to May 2018, CLTG Builders was awarded 125 public works projects by the government worth around P4.89 billion.

"In 2017 alone, pursuant to the first ever General Appropriations Act passed under the Duterte Administration, CLTG Builders was able to secure 27 projects worth approximately P3.2 billion," said Trillanes.

Around the same time, Alfrego Builders & Supply bagged 59 projects totaling P1.74 billion, he said.

"In 2018 alone, when Duterte was President, it acquired 23 projects worth almost P1.3 billion," Trillanes said.

"In sum, based on the records submitted to his office, CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders & Supply combined were awarded government projects, from 2007 to 2018, valued at a staggering amount of at least P6.6 billion," he said.

Go was appointed to a Cabinet post by Duterte during the time when CLTG Builders and Alfrego Builders & Supply were awarded "an overwhelming number of substantial and sizeable projects worth billions of pesos," Trillanes said.

Trillanes included in his complaint Go's father and half-brother.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV shows documents of the plunder and graft charges he filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Christopher Go before the Department of Justice (DoJ) on July 5, 2024. PHOTO BY RENE H. DILAN

"But, since this is essentially the same accusation they hurled against me before, I categorically deny the allegations against me and former President Rodrigo Duterte."

"It's better to scrutinize these accusations. Is there any irregularity? Were there transactions disadvantageous to the government? Was there theft involved? And are there any connections suggesting that I or my family benefited from these transactions? The Commission on Audit can investigate, and if there is wrongdoing, it's up to the CoA to file the necessary charges," he said.

The senator said his family had businesses before he entered politics. "I assure you that neither I nor my family profited from my government position. Even if you inquire, my relatives — my father and half-brother — cannot influence any government project or contract," he said.

"Our conscience remains clear because, from then until now, we have maintained our integrity," Go said. "I've always emphasized that I never interfered with or influenced any government transaction, contract, or bidding. If anyone uses my name to gain favor in government, that should be automatically denied!"

He said that Trillanes merely recycled an accusation that dates back to 2018.

"They haven't proven anything. Now that the 2025 elections are approaching, they're making noise again to create discussion," Go said.

"The real question is, who else is behind these black ops? Perhaps we should scrutinize those surrounding him. The public knows that Trillanes is an attack dog and lazy. That's the real corruption!" the senator said.

Former Malacañang spokesman Salvador Panelo on Friday derided the charges Trillanes filed against Duterte and Go as a "publicity stunt" intended to give him (Trillanes) exposure in preparation for his candidacy in the 2025 elections.

"Once again, the discredited rebel renegade is on his publicity stunt of spreading malicious and false accusation intended to get media mileage for his 2025 election bid for either a local or national position," Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo, who once was Duterte's chief legal counsel, recalled how Trillanes accused then-presidential candidate Duterte of having over P100 million in his bank account in the Bank of the Philippine Islands when the account only contained P16,000.

He also said that in 2017, lawyer Jude Sabio filed a complaint in the International Criminal Court, on Trillanes' urging, against Duterte for crimes against humanity in connection with the drug war, only to withdraw it in 2020.