Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Thursday that assassination attempts, including an alleged murder plot under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, will not succeed as long as he has a mission to fulfill.

In an interview with DZRH, Trillanes said he only learned of the alleged murder scheme when whistleblowers Ramil Madriaga and Arturo Lascañas came forward.

Trillanes also said he was not surprised by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) recent decision, noting that the previous administration had challenged the court’s jurisdiction four times. He described the ruling as a positive development.

Appeals judges ruled Wednesday that the ICC has jurisdiction over Duterte, rejecting efforts to stop proceedings over his role in alleged extrajudicial killings during his presidency.

“The ICC is expected to release its decision on the confirmation of charges, and if it is confirmed, it will proceed to trial,” Trillanes said in Filipino.

Willing to testify

Trillanes said he is willing to testify against the former president, citing his past appearance in the case involving former Makati mayor Junjun Binay’s “Justice for Sale” controversy in 2015, which led to a libel conviction over his statements to the media.

The former senator also warned against repeating past mistakes, saying it would be like “looking for a stone to hit ourselves with,” and urged voters to choose better leaders to promote good governance.