Cayetano hits back at Trillanes over allegations vs Duterte
"He is the Kuryente King"

"The Kuryente King."

This was how Senator Alan Peter Cayetano described Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as he rebuked his colleague for once again throwing "false accusations" against President Rodrigo Duterte.

Trillanes on Thursday (Feb. 16) held a press conference at the Senate, wherein he revived his previous allegations regarding the President's so-called hidden bank accounts.

Cayetano in response deemed the accusation as another desperate attempt by the senator to stop the reforms that are happening under the Duterte administration.

"Marami siguro sa ilang padrino niya o nasa likod niya ay tinatamaan sa mga reforms na nagaganap ngayon," Cayetano retorted.

"We know from the start na palaging 'Kuryente King' si Senator Trillanes pagdating kay President Duterte... Kung mayroong power shortage at gagamitin natin si Senator Trillanes, wala tayong problema sa kuryente dahil lagi siyang nakukuryente," he added.

The senator defended the President against the claims and reminded how, during the campaign, they were the only tandem who signed a bank secrecy waiver to make public all their bank accounts.

He further questioned why Trillanes is all of a sudden trying to revive an issue that had long been settled. He said there was nothing new with his colleague's tirades, stressing how Trillanes is known for his constant attacks and baseless charges against the administration.

"Bakit week after week, scheme after scheme, tina-try ni Senator Trillanes i-destabilize ang gobyerno?" Cayetano said.

"From the start, walang ginawa kundi manira. Nakita niyo naman sa [appointment] hearing ni [Justice] Secretary Aguirre yesterday, it was all opinion. Self-righteousness niya na sa tingin niya, tama na 'yun. But you need facts. You need evidence. You need concrete evidence kung mag-a-accuse ka," he added.

The senator then turned the tables on Trillanes and challenged him instead to explain where he got the funds he used for his anti-Duterte commercials that were aired in major television networks during last year's campaign.

"Hanggang ngayon, hindi niya maipaliwanag kung saan niya nakuha ang P20 million na ibinayad niya sa [major television networks] para sa mga commercial na last-minute ay ginagamit para manira kay President Duterte," Cayetano said.

"He cannot explain where he got the money. Sino itong mga backer niya during the campaign na willing to pay tens of millions of pesos' worth of negative ads? Hanggang ngayon, hindi niya dinedeklara kung sino itong mga 'to."