Trillanes accuses Duterte son of belonging to drug triad

September 7, 2017

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV accused Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte as a member of a drug triad in the Senate hearing on smuggling of drugs on Thursday. Trillanes asked Duterte if he has a tattoo on his back and Duterte answered "yes". Trillanes said he received an intelligence information that Duterte is a member of a drug triad and the tattoo on the back of the vice mayor will prove it. "This intelligence information that was given to me by a foreign country said that vice mayor Paolo Duterte is a member of a triad and the proof of his membership is his tattoo on his back", Trillanes said "That's the physical evidence of his membership in the triad, the tattoo', Trillanes added. Duterte admitted having tattoo on his back but refused to show the tattoo when asked by Trillanes. "No way", Duterte said after being asked by Trillanes if the sergeant-at-arms of the committee  can take pictures of his tattoo. Trillanes described the tattoo as "colored and dragon-like figure". He said there is a "sacred digits" in the tattoo. He said if Duterte allows them to take a picture of the tattoo it will be sent to US. Drug Enforcement Administration to decode the alleged sacred digits. Duterte and business man Charlie Tan were tagged by Trillanes in the illegal drug trade was part of a "syndicate" based in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The triad is engaged in different criminal activities including importing of illegal drugs, Trillanes said. Ranier Madrid, lawyer of Duterte, called Trillanes "fake" and "propagandist". Madrid said he advised Duterte not to follow what the senator asked him to do. "I was the one who advised my client. You mean to say we are fools? I will never play his game, his game is propaganda, was that relevant to the investigation? No, it was out of the line", Madrid said. Madrid jokingly said he would have let Duterte show his tattoo if Trillanes admitted he was a gay. "If he admits that he is gay maybe I would have advised my client to show his thing, to show his body", he said. Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, asked Trillanes if he has the source of the intelligence report. Trillanes said: "You know the nature of such intelligence information. I am willing to convey the source to ... in executive session or in confidence I will be divulge". Trillanes said in the hearing that Duterte has P104,282,161 total deposits from different banks. Carpio and his wife, Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte Carpio, have P121,109,236 in their bank accounts, Trillanes claimed. Duterte refused to answer the questions of Trillanes regarding his bank accounts, saying these are  "irrelevant questions". Carpio disputed the information of Trillanes. "I am disputing it because I don't have that much money that is why I am smiling" he said. Trillanes asked Duterte and Carpio to sign a waver to check their bank accounts but the two refused to sign. Alanna Ambi/DMS