Go dismisses plunder case as politicking

Senator Bong Go on Wednesday brushed aside the new plunder case filed by former Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV against himself, former President Rodrigo Duterte and several others, dismissing it as “another rehashed accusation.”

“This issue has once again been rehashed and recycled for obvious politicking purposes. This is a clear case of destructive politics and a sure sign of desperation to malign me and the former President. Nevertheless, I welcome these moves to finally put an end to these lies,” he said.

Go accused Trillanes of trying to gain media mileage and solicit funds for his political aspirations by filing baseless cases.

The plunder and graft charges were filed by Trillanes before the Department of Justice against Go, Duterte, and several former government and military officials in connection with the alleged anomalous implementation of the P16-billion Philippine Navy Frigate Acquisition Project (FAP).

The complaint, filed by Trillanes against Duterte and his allies, was based on information from a 2018 Senate investigation. This included testimonies from officials who claimed the respondents had manipulated the process to favor the private contractor Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.

The other individuals named in the complaint were former Defense Undersecretary Raymundo Elefante, former Budget and Management Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao, former Philippine Navy Chief Admiral Robert Empedrad, former DND Defense Acquisition Office Chief Leodegario de la Paz, FAP Technical Working Group legal officer Marlon Dayao, and officials of Hyundai Heavy Industries Co. Ltd.: Kisun Chung, Ki Young Sung, Joung Woo Byin, and Sandra Han.

The former senator is specifically seeking the prosecution of the respondents for violation of Section 2 of Republic Act 7080, which defines and penalizes the crime of plunder, as well as Sections 3(a), 3(e), and 3(g) of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. He is also seeking accountability for culpable violations of the Constitution and a betrayal of public trust.

The FAP, part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization project, involved the acquisition of two advanced frigates, or state-of-the-art warships, comparable to those of other nations.

One major component sought by the Philippine Navy was the Combat Management System for the frigates. Hyundai Heavy Industries offered two models: the Naval Shield Integrated Combat Management System from Hanwha Systems Corporation and the Tacticos CMS from Thales Nederland.