Trillanes on Taguba clearing Paolo and Mans: Text messages not fabricated

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday downplayed the statement of Customs fixer Mark Taguba clearing both Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and lawyer Manases Carpio from their alleged links to the so-called “Davao Group.”

“I can only imagine the pressure being applied on Mr. Taguba right now. But the hearing yesterday was seen on national TV so the public knows what he said or did not say,” Trillanes said.

“The text messages he read aloud which named Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio were never forced on him and neither were they fabricated. Therefore, Mr. Taguba's clarification doesn't change anything,” he added.

Trillanes said the effect of Taguba’s statement “is no different from Kian Delos Santos' parents doing the fist salute with Duterte.”

Trillanes also reiterated that both Paolo and Carpio, President Rodrigo Duterte’s son and son-in-law, should be invited to the blue ribbon committee investigating the smuggling of the P6.4-billion shabu last May.

Trillanes earlier said Paolo and Carpio are behind the so-called Davao Group, allegedly involved in the smuggling of shipments. He said the group could also be responsible for the shabu shipment.

In a statement sent by his lawyer Raymond Fortun, Taguba apologized to President Rodrigo Duterte’s family, reiterating that his knowledge of the alleged involvement of Paolo and Carpio is mere “hearsay.”

Taguba served as the broker of the shabu shipment, although he has denied that he knew that the cargo contained more than 600 kilograms of shabu.

He said he never testified on the supposed involvement of Paolo and Carpio to the shipment of illegal drugs nor the “tara” system at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

“I am making this statement to clear Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Atty. Mans Carpio of any involvement in the shipment of illegal drugs into the country, and any anomalies in the Bureau of Customs,” Taguba said.

“I also hereby apologize to Vice Mayor Duterte, Atty. Carpio and to the first family for the proliferation of fake news arising out of my testimony at the Senate yesterday,” he added. —NB, GMA News