A former officer of the Philippine Marines who was among the ring leaders of the infamous Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 said he suspects that Sen. Antonio Trillanes is acting as an attack dog of a political group out to destroy leading presidential candidate Rody Duterte.
Former Marines Cpt Nick Faeldon, who was one of the six officers jailed in the Intelligence Service of the AFP detention centre along with Trillanes in 2003 followed a failed coup attempt, said he saw then Navy Lt Sr Grade Trillanes receive a boxful of money from a congresswoman whose family was accused of corruption.
Faeldon said sometime in 2004, former Cong. Imee Marcos, now Ilocos Norte Governor, visited their detention cell along with her son and a lawyer.
They were ushered in by a Gen. Quevedo who was the ISAFP chief at that time.
“One afternoon Imee Marcos came with her son and Atty. Robles, lawyer ni Trillanes and they were escorted by ISAFP chief Gen. Quevedo,” Faeldon said.
“Noong nakaupo na kami, sabi ni Imee “Sonny dala ko na ang request mo.” I saw her son carrying a box of Red Ribbon and when it was opened, tumambad yong pera. I don’t know how much,” he said.
Faeldon said he was shocked that Trillanes asked money from the Marcoses, a family hounded by accusations of corruption.
“Pagbalik namain sa kulungan I told him next time na may transaksyon ka huwag mo na ako isama,” Faeldon recounted.
Faeldon said he questioned Trillanes for soliciting money from known politicians which he said was a complete betrayal of the cause for which they staged the rebellion in the Oakwood Mutiny which was to denounce the corruption in the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Faeldon was contacted after a meme circulating in the social media was seen insinuating that self-proclaimed anti-corruption crusader Sen. Trillanes received huge amounts of money during the time he was in jail for his role in the infamous Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.
The meme obviously suggested that Trillanes, who has launched a relentless attack against leading Presidential candidate Rody Duterte, could be working for the interests of political groups and personalities to financial considerations.
When asked the confirm the accusation in the meme that Trillanes, then a detainee received money from members of families who were also accused of corruption, Faeldon said that he personally witnessed the “transactions” between his fellow detainee and big name politicians.
Faeldon said he also personally knew of another instance when Trillanes received money from Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, who is now in a detention facility in Camp Crame also for corruption.
Faeldon, who escaped from jail several times the last was in 2007 and has recently yielded, said he has decided to come out in the open to divulge what he knows about Trillanes in the face of the senator’s posturing that his attacks against Duterte are all part of his crusade against corruption./Manny Pinol
