PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte denied Monday that his vocal critic, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, is the “next target” of the current administration, following the arrest of Senator Leila De Lima.
“It’s so insignificant to bother yourself,” the President told reporters at the Palace grounds.
Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II floated the idea of going after Trillanes, now that De Lima has already been arrested.
In a pro-Duterte rally staged at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila, Aguirre, whose agency filed drug charges against De Lima, asked the crowd, “Who do you want to be jailed next?”
The people then shouted the name of “Trillanes.”
Aguirre said the public should help him, in order to come up with a next step against the senator.
Trillanes believes that the “illegal arrest” of De Lima sends a chilling message to the political opposition and critics that “they could be next.”
He, however, remained unfazed by the looming threat that he could be the next target.
“I am now motivated more than ever to expose him for being a plunderer and mass murderer that he truly is,” Trillanes said.
Trillanes earlier claimed that the President had P2-billion in ill-gotten wealth in his bank account. Duterte, however, denied the allegation. (SunStar Philippines)