Duterte, Go face plunder raps over Navy frigate deal

MANILA, Philippines —  Former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bong Go are facing anew a plunder complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) in connection with the allegedly anomalous P16-billion Navy frigate acquisition project.

The complaint was filed yesterday by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who also accused Duterte and Go of graft, culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

In his 50-page complaint-affidavit, Trillanes stated that the supposed procurement of two modern frigates or “state-of-the-art warships” in 2016 were downgraded to “mere ordinary ships with stripped-capabilities” due to the “intervention and manipulation” of Duterte and Go, who was then the special adviser to the president.

Trillanes added that the procurement of the Combat Management System (CMS) for the two frigates, with Hyundai being given the “sole right to choose the maker” of the Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP) management team and the Philippine Navy, would not have happened without intervention from Duterte and Go.

The FAP is part of the Horizon 1 phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program, which ran from 2013 to 2017, during which the government allocated P75 billion for the purchase of two frigates for the Philippine Navy.

Trillanes also accused the respondents for “amassing, accumulating or acquiring ill-gotten wealth” of at least P50 million, which is the threshold for plunder, from the CMS deal.

He noted that the price difference of P700 million for the purchase of the CMSs for the BRP Jose Rizal and its sister ship BRP Antonio Luna from the original budget contract of P16 billion also established plunder.

This plunder complaint is the second that he had filed against Duterte and Go, the first of which was in connection with the P6.6 billion worth of questionable infrastructure projects allegedly awarded to Go’s family members.

Others named in the complaint were former Department of National Defense undersecretary Raymundo Elefante, former Department of Budget and Management undersecretary Christopher Lao, former Philippine Navy chief Admiral Robert Empedrad and several private individuals.

For his part, Go