Pnoy to Trillanes: Shut up!

From: philstar.com

Malacañang yesterday asked Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to stop talking about the country’s affairs with China, especially since he was not given blanket authority to deal with Beijing in his Palace-sanctioned back-channel talks.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda also said Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario has the full trust and confidence of President Aquino.

“When we met with the President, the request was made very clear to him (Trillanes). He spoke to Secretary Del Rosario and asked him to refrain from making further statements. He texted Sen. Trillanes and he also asked him to refrain from making further statements,” Lacierda said.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had earlier accused Trillanes of working for China.

He said Trillanes, among others, espoused a bilateral solution to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) dispute and even said no Filipino was interested in Panatag 

 (Scarborough) Shoal.

Enrile said Trillanes was protecting the interests of China more and even called Del Rosario a traitor. He said Trillanes himself was committing treason when he tried to usurp the authority of the country’s diplomatic officials, based on the notes of Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady.

Lacierda maintained it was Trillanes who approached the President and volunteered to do backdoor negotiations, contrary to the claim of the senator that he was offered the job.

Asked repeatedly to explain the qualifications of Trillanes, Lacierda said the senator had assured them there was a way to move forward.

Lacierda would not confirm if the 16 trips of Trillanes were funded by Malacañang and if it was Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. who tapped his services. Asked if Aquino “regrets” allowing Trillanes, Lacierda said they did not discuss it. 

Lacierda said Trillanes did not have blanket authority to enter into any agreement with China, and was also not an alter ego because he did not have any formal appointment as special envoy.

Lacierda added Trillanes was supposed to help resolve the standoff at Panatag Shoal and not on the whole deal. He, however, could not say whether the President had terminated the services of Trillanes. ###