Roque taunts Trillanes: 'You can't prove anything'


Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will not be able to prove any of his plunder allegations against President Duterte and his long-time aide Senator Christopher Go, pointing out that he has been doing this since the start of the present administration.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, Senator Bong Go, President Duterte, and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. (MB File Photos)

Roque made the statement after Trillanes accused Duterte and Go of corruption worth P6.6 billion of public works contracts in the Davao region.

In his press briefing on Monday, Roque said the public should expect more accusations against the President. However, his critics, will not be able to prove anything, noting Trillanes failed at doing so when he was still a senator.

"Sa panahon ng politika, asahan po natin ang mga ganitong paratang. Pero 'wag niyo pong kakalimutan, yung mga bumabato ngayon, binato na 'yan dati (At the time of politics, we can expect more accusations like this one but don't forget, this issue has been hurled before)," he said.

"Walang napatunayan noon, walang mapapatunayan ngayon, at walang mapapatunayan bukas (Nothing was proven before, nothing will be proven now, and nothing will be proven tomorrow)," he added.

Roque told Trillanes that he can file the case against Duterte because his sovereign immunity from suits cannot stop any investigation against him.

However, he said the former Senator probably had no evidence to prove his claims.

Roque pointed out that articles from online news website Rappler and non-profit media organization Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) cannot be used as evidence against Duterte and Go.

In a nine-minute video, Trillanes said construction firms owned by Go's family had won multibillion-peso government projects since President Duterte was mayor in Davao City.

However, Roque said even this cannot be used as evidence.

"Ang problema kay Senator Trillanes, wala siyang ebidensya. Ang mga ebidensyang sinasabi ni Sen. Trillanes laban kay Sen. Go, Rappler, PCIJ, eh, wala naman pong tatanggap diyan (The problem with Senator Trillanes is he has no evidence. His evidence is from Rappler and PCIJ-- no one will accept those)," he said.

"Padala niyo po sa akin ang ebidensya pero kung sasabihin niyo naghahanapbuhay sa construction industry ang pamilya ni Senator Bong Go, mukhang hindi po ebidensiya yun (Send me the evidence but if you'll say that Go's family have been with the construction industry, then I don't think that can be considered as evidence)," he added.