DAVAO CITY–Presidential son Paolo Z. Duterte filed a libel case against Senator Antonio Trillanes for maliciously maligning him and the entire Duterte family in a radio interview on DYAB Cebu on September 8, 2017.
Paolo filed the case on Thursday before the Regional Trial Court (RTC) 11.
In his affidavit-complaint, Paolo said the senator accused him of “purported corruption and extortion involving UBER and other companies regulated by the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board; the Road Board; and Department of Public Works and Highways.
“Respondent’s imputation is downright false, baseless and unfounded. It is based on double, if not multiple, hearsay information which he claimed to have received from someone, whom he, however, did not even bother to divulge,” Paolo said.
Paolo claimed that the senator’s allegations were pure black propaganda and do not have any basis at all.
“Respondent’s accusation against my person was intended to malign, destroy and kill my good name and reputation because of my being the son of our President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, including my parents, siblings and their respective families,” the affidavit further read.
Last year, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, also filed a separate libel case against Trillanes.
In December last year, Paolo and Carpio filed a civil case against Trillanes for tagging them in the smuggling issue. The two filed the case before the Office of the Clerk of Court on December 27 and was raffled off to Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 15 under the sala of Judge Mario Duaves.
Following Trillanes’ smuggling allegations, Duterte and Carpio were also summoned to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on September 7, 2017, where they strongly denied any wrongdoing. (Funny Pearl Gajunera/PNA)
