Duterte bares his rose tattoo, tells Trillanes to have it decoded

September 10, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte showed his tattoo on his right shoulder as he sarcastically told Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, his staunch critic, to have it decoded.

Duterte made such a gesture during a media interview in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday night after Trillanes, in a Senate inquiry this week, accused presidential son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, of being a member of a drug triad. Trillanes said this could be proven by a colored dragon-tattoo on his back.

Paolo admitted having a tattoo, but refused to show it, invoking his right to privacy. Trillanes has said the United States Drug Enforcement Agency could decode the secret digits on Paolo's tattoo.

"It's a rose here. Here, my number in Guardians. I don't know what year is that. Guardians Brotherhood," Duterte said as he rolled the short sleeve of his black polo shiry.

Guardians Brotherhood is a group which Senator Gregorio Honasan belongs.

Duterte said Paolo has also a tattoo similar to Honasan on his hand. His son, Sebastian, has also tattoos all over his body, he added.

Duterte said Trillanes has "cheapened" the Senate for bringing issue such as the tattoo of his son.

"You're bringing such issue to the Senate. You cheapened the institution," he told Trillanes, whom he also called as an "idiot." Celerina Monte/DMS