Palace slams Trillanes over surveillance ‘paranoia’

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is just paranoid in claiming that suspicious-looking men are casing his residence in Antipolo City after he refused to be placed under government custody following President Duterte’s move to void his amnesty, a Palace official said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. said the senator, who is one of Duterte’s most vocal critics, is mistaken when he claimed that intelligence personnel are conducting surveillance operations against him and areas where he commonly moves around.

“First, it’s drama; now it appears to be paranoia. I think it’s very clear, the President has left the matter to the regional trial court of Makati; and so as the Supreme Court,” Roque said.

The Palace issued the reaction over Trillanes’ claim that purported intelligence men are casing his house even as he remains holed up at the Senate.

Last Thursday, Duterte already said that the police and the military have lost interest in going after the senator even if he has ordered his arrest when he issued Presidential Proclamation 572.

Duterte said Trillanes won’t be arrested without the proper warrant coming from the courts.

Trillanes said yesterday the administration is stepping up efforts to harass him and his family as he continues to defy its orders to arrest him.