Sara: Hontiveros, Castro, Trillanes under one ‘handler’

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has claimed Sen. Risa Hontiveros, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV have one political handler in orchestrating attacks against her, including her alleged impending impeachment.

In a presss conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) central office in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, Duterte said she is not surprised with the barrage of attacks against her by several lawmakers, saying that these attacks are just a precursor for the grand plan to impeach her.

“Since last year, they already had their grounds for impeachment. They are just waiting to have all the pieces they need to back the grounds they have identified… One track is impeachment, one track is [to call for] my resignation,” Duterte said.

Duterte singled out Castro as the one who supposedly triggered the impeachment plot against her, though the lawmaker was just acting for someone – a “handler.”

Duterte added that Hontiveros and Trillanes are also under that same political handler, who is supposedly hell-bent on ousting her. Pressed by reporters for the name of the supposed “handler,” Duterte said she will disclose it “in proper time.”

“Who is behind them? I know, but I cannot divulge yet. At the proper time, I will disclose everything. Someone will mention the name soon in the hearing, and then I will identify that person. There is only one handler of Risa Hontiveros, Sonny Trillanes, and France Castro,” she said.

Duterte added that Castro is probably “serving two masters” though she is “working directly” with the supposed handler. Castro has been a vocal critic of Duterte especially in connection with the issue of the latter’s spending of her confidential funds under the OVP.

In a statement, Castro said Duterte has become “delusional” and was just trying to divert the public’s attention over the issue of her allegedly anomalous confindential fund spending.

“Has VP Duterte now gone delusional for saying that there is one person handling Sen. Risa Hontiveros, ex-senator Sonny Trillanes and myself, with an alleged impeachment plot against her?” Castro said.

“This is of course not true and yet