Ex-Philippine president Duterte, aide face new corruption complaint over warship deal

A new plunder and graft complaint was filed Wednesday against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte and his longtime aide, Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go related to a U.S. $278-million frigate acquisition deal signed in October 2016 for the country’s navy.

Antonio Trillanes IV, a former senator and Duterte’s political nemesis, filed the complaint with the justice department, also naming at least five former officials.

Sen. Go downplayed Trillanes’ latest move, describing it as “black propaganda” against him.

Trillanes’ complaint also implicated officers and representatives of Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) Co. Ltd, the South Korean shipbuilder, who allegedly benefitted from the deal.

The complaint alleged that Duterte, through Sen. Go, is said to have chosen HHI’s supposedly inferior class of Combat Management System (CMS) – a key component of a warship – for two new Navy frigates.

Trillanes said those named in his complaint picked an inferior product to the one originally specified “for the obvious reason of lining their pockets with ill-gotten gains.” 

The Philippine Navy had originally chosen the Dutch-made Tacticos CMS, but when the contract was signed, the navy’s choice was axed in favor of another CMS. 

The then Philippine Navy chief Ronald Mercado raised his concerns about using another CMS with former defense chief Delfin Lorenzana. But not only was the original CMS choice abandoned, Mercado was also removed for alleged insubordination over the frigate deal. 

‘Most trusted aide’

Sen. Go on Wednesday accused Trillanes of using “rehashed accusations” in his complaint.

The Duterte aide noted that he ran for Senate in 2019 after he had been cleared of wrongdoing in the controversy, citing a Congressional investigation. But back then, skeptics doubted the thoroughness of the probe because Congress was filled with Duterte allies.

Sen. Go served as Duterte’s executive assistant from 1998 until he became a senator in May 2019.   

The former aide, who has described himself as the ex-president’s “most trusted aide,” is planning to run for reelection in next year’s senate polls.

Several complaints

Robert Empedrad, who succeeded Mercado, told BenarNews he had no links to the frigate deal. 

“I appeared before congressional and Senate inquiries on the frigates deal and they did not find anything wrong,” Empedrad said on Wednesday.

Critics suspected these inquiries were also not conducted thoroughly.

Duterte faces other complaints.

Trillanes in July filed separate plunder and graft complaints against Duterte and Sen. Go. The complaint alleged that the former president granted multi-million dollar infrastructure projects to firms linked to his aide and family.

The ex-president is also being investigated by the International Criminal Court for alleged human rights abuses in his controversial war against illegal drugs.

Jojo Riñoza in Manila contributed to this report.