Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV lashed out at Senator Bam Aquino’s statement that cases of extrajudicial killings (EJK) under the Duterte administration should be tried in the Philippines, calling it not only contrary to justice but also “insensitive and unfair” to victims’ families and those who pursued the case before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“This is personal to us na mga nag-file ng kaso; nag-alaga ng mga testigo; at nangalap ng mga ebidensya para lang makamit ang hustisya na di maibibigay dito sa Pilipinas kahit gaano mo pa paikutin,” Trillanes said in a social media post.
He stressed that families of victims had waited nine years while “others now parade concern but did nothing during the height of the EJK.”
Trillanes further criticized Aquino’s remarks as mere “pa-pogi” meant to appeal to Duterte supporters. “Pa-pogi lang sa DDS at the expense of those who sacrificed? That’s so insensitive and so unfair,” he said.
He also questioned Aquino’s failure to file cases against Duterte and other alleged perpetrators in local courts during the drug war.
“Para maliwanag, Sen. Bam, kung talagang naniniwala kang dapat dito litisin ang mga EJK cases, kinasuhan mo ba sa local courts si Digong at iba pang co-perpetrators nung mga panahong iyun?” Trillanes asked.
The former senator maintained that his earlier revelation was proven true that during the 2022 campaign, the camp of Aquino and then-Vice President Leni Robredo had said Duterte would not be sent to The Hague even if the ICC issued a warrant.
“Last year, binash ako ng mga supporters ni Sen. Bam at VP Leni nung namention ko sa interview with Christian Esguerra na sinabi nila sakin na kung mananalo si VP Leni as president ay di nya ibibigay si digong sa The Hague. Ngayon, napatunayan na nagsasabi ako ng totoo dahil galing na mismo kay Sen. Bam,” Trillanes added. (JCNE)
