By Meanne Corvera
Eagle News Service
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday, June 6, said he would face the charges for grave threats filed against him by Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras.
Trillanes made the comment even as he noted that Paras “has the zero-credibility of a cellphone thief.”
The lawmaker was apparently referring to a separate incident that saw Akbayan party-list Rep. Tom Villarin accusing Paras of stealing his cellphone at a congressional hearing.
Paras has admitted he got Villarin’s cellphone, but only inadvertently, as he was in a hurry to attend another hearing.
“Pero makikita natin dito na gagawin lahat ng mga alagad ni Duterte para ma-distract o ma-harass ang mga taga oposisyon,” Trillanes added.
May 29 incident
In filing the charges in the Pasay Prosecutors Office against Trillanes, Paras referred to the May 29 incident in the Senate in which Trillanes allegedly issued threats against him four times in 30 minutes.
At that time, the two accidentally met in a hallway.
Trillanes has denied he issued the threats, noting that he only reacted after Paras tried to shake his hands even after the labor undersecretary filed inciting to sedition charges against him.
The inciting to sedition charges were in connection with comments Trillanes made about soldiers who he said could kill President Rodrigo Duterte if they discovered the supposed wealth the chief executive had amassed.
“Kung makikita ito ng mga sundalo, M-60 ang gagamitin sa’yo kasi marami-rami ito. Mauubos ‘yung magasin, kung ₱40 million ‘yung hinahanap mo,” Trillanes had said.
But Paras called Trillanes a liar, saying he never tried to shake the lawmaker’s hands in the first place.
“Yayariin, tatapusin..Ano ba yun? That means tatapusin ang buhay mo,” Paras said, noting that Trillanes was a former military man who “can inflict bodily harm to the extent of killing.”
“He is a bully to his co-senators. And ano ba naman ang ilalaban ko sa kanya kundi ang hustisya lamang. E kung kaya niyang gawin sa kapwa senator ano pa kaya sa akin na empleado,” Paras added.