Panelo questions Trillanes' credibility

FORMER Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said Wednesday that ex-senator Antonio Trillanes 4th has no credibility in urging the Marcos administration to let the International Criminal Court (ICC) pursue its investigation into «extrajudicial killings» during the watch of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement, Panelo said Duterte's narrative in the video «is just a repeat of what he has been saying that confidential and intelligence funds are used against the enemies of the state who are bent and obsessed in destroying the government.»

«The state has the inherent right to protect and defend itself from the insidious attempts by terrorists, rebels, drug lords, criminal syndicates and lawless elements to dismantle the democratic institutions. The state in destroying its enemies act through its duly constituted authorities in a manner sanctioned by law,» Panelo said.

«Trillanes' submission of the video showing former president Rodrigo Duterte (PRRD) allegedly admitting to the extrajudicial killings is a desperate attempt by a discredited individual to be relevant and to resurrect himself from oblivion,» he added.

Panelo, former presidential chief legal counsel under the Duterte administration, said Trillanes' previous allegations against the former chief executive were all part of political propaganda.

«Trillanes has absolutely no credibility. His allegations against PRRD on EJKs (extra-judicial killings) and ill-gotten wealth have been repudiated, starting with his claim two weeks before the 2016 presidential elections that PRRD had amassed millions in ill-gotten wealth in deposits in BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) Ortigas, Branch,» Panelo said.

In April 2016, Trillanes accused PRRD of having at least P227 million in an account at a bank branch in Metro Manila that he did not declare in his latest statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Duterte denied the existence of the account at the BPI branch along Julia Vargas Avenue in Pasig City, prompting Trillanes to dare him to sign a waiver to allow the opening and scrutiny of his bank accounts and to file a libel case against him if the allegations were false.

«It turned out when his (PRRD's)