Former allies clash: De Lima blasts Trillanes ‘divisive’ tactics

House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima on Wednesday called out former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for “sowing division” among the opposition by suggesting that former Vice President Leni Robredo is forging an alliance with the Dutertes.

“I have respect for former Senator Trillanes, who I consider a friend and a co-warrior against Duterte’s excesses and evils,” De Lima said. “It is painful to see that there are statements that, instead of strengthening the ranks, can even cause division among former and current allies.”

De Lima’s remarks came after Trillanes, a staunch critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, accused Robredo, now mayor of Naga City, of being “soft on accountability.” Trillanes had suggested that Robredo would have blocked the International Criminal Court’s warrant against the former President if she had won the presidency in 2022.

Trillanes also pointed to Robredo’s purported silence on the impeachment fiasco, claiming it might be related to her “friendship” and “alliance” with Vice President Sara Duterte.

In September 2024, Vice President Duterte paid her predecessor a courtesy visit at her residence in Naga City, sparking criticism among anti-Duterte forces.

De Lima dismissed Trillanes’ allegations and defended Robredo’s commitment to fighting injustice.

“No one who stood with us during the darkest days of impunity and persecution can honestly accuse her of being soft on accountability, least of all on Duterte,” De Lima said. “For her, accountability must apply to all. There is no room for double standards in the justice we hope for.”

She expressed dismay at the unforeseen political events and stressed that Trillanes should not mistake allies for enemies.

“We do not know what has prompted these claims. But we do know their effect: division, distraction, and disinformation,” she said. “Let us not hand ammunition to those who wish to see the democratic opposition fragmented and discredited. We in the opposition are not here to fight each other.”