Go slams ‘recycler’ Trillanes amid plunder raps

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go on Tuesday broke his silence on the plunder complaint filed against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, calling the accusations “baseless” and a “recycled diversionary tactic.”

“I have been expecting this complaint, and now we are in the proper forum to prove the baselessness of his allegations,” Go said.

“I now have the opportunity to answer him point-by-point before the Ombudsman, and not in the media anymore,” he added.

To recall, Trillanes filed the 35-page complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this week, accusing Go, Duterte and two of Go’s relatives of funneling nearly P7 billion in infrastructure projects to family-owned companies.

The firms, identified as CLTG Builders (reportedly owned by Go’s father) and Alfrego Builders & Supply (owned by his brother), were allegedly awarded at least 200 government projects from 2007 to 2024, including under the Duterte administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

Trillanes cited data from the Commission on Audit and public infrastructure records to support the allegations, highlighting five recent flood control projects worth P327 million in the Davao Region.

The former lawmaker claimed the pattern of favoritism could constitute violations of the Plunder Law and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

In response, Go vehemently denied any wrongdoing, insisting he is not a contractor and has no role in the awarding of infrastructure projects.

Go claimed the accusations were part of a political smear campaign that has resurfaced multiple times, particularly ahead of the 2025 elections. He presented materials to illustrate that the issues were the same ones raised in 2018 and 2021.

“I notice that there are people who are causing trouble,” Go said. “There are people behind this who are only disturbing the truth.”

The senator counter-accused Trillanes of using the complaint as a diversionary tactic to protect certain “financiers” and deflect attention from ongoing corruption scandals, particularly within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Where are the ones who should be blamed for the issue of flood control? Where are they? Why didn’t you mention the big shots?” Go asked, challenging Trillanes to pursue the “real corrupt” officials, specifically congressmen who are allegedly also contractors, whom Go referred to as “cong-tractors.”

“You refuse to go after them because they are your financiers,” Go alleged, urging Trillanes to file cases against those individuals instead of repeatedly targeting him.

Go called on the Ombudsman, the DPWH, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to seek the truth behind what he called “manufactured” complaints and “real issues of flood control scandals, ghost projects and substandard projects.”

Also, the senator reaffirmed his support for DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon while demanding genuine reforms and accountability in the agency’s infrastructure spending and used his platform to criticize the use of unprogrammed appropriations in the budget and advocate for the completion of evacuation centers and Super Health Centers.