Sinayang Lang ni Trillanes ang oras ng Senado - Koko

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV wasted the time of the Senate blue ribbon committee investigating the smuggling in of illegal drugs when he accused Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte of being a member of a drug triad, Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Friday.

“Off tangent from the topic of the investigation. Sayang lang oras,” Pimentel said in a text message.

For his part, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Trillanes’ claims were “unsubstantiated.”

“We cannot react to unsubstantiated allegations. Maraming ganyan na klaseng balita sa internet. You give credence when you react,” Sotto said. GMA News Online has tried to get Trillanes’ side on the matter but the senator has yet to respond to text messages sent to him.

During the Senate committee hearing Thursday, Trillanes said he received information from a “foreign country” that Paolo, son of President Rodrigo Duterte, is a member of a drug triad.

He said the triad operates in countries such as China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and is engaged in various illegal activities, including the importation of illegal drugs.

According to Trillanes, the membership of Paolo in a triad could be proven by a colored, dragon-like tattoo on his back.

While Paolo admitted that he had a tattoo on his back, he did not answer any questions regarding its appearance as he invoked his right to privacy.

The vice mayor refused to show his back, telling Trillanes “no way.”

The blue ribbon committee was investigating the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that was brought out of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) without inspection in May.

Paolo’s name was first mentioned in a House committee hearing by Customs fixer Mark Taguba, who said that the Davao vice mayor was being “name-dropped” by the so-called Davao Group.

The group, according to Taguba, collected bribes in exchange for the facilitation of shipments out of the BOC without being alerted/inspected.