Rody, Bong Go face plunder raps; Go slams 'rehash'

It was a rehash of charges, meant to divert the public's attention from the principal perpetrators in the flood control scandal, Sen. Bong Go said yesterday of the plunder complaint filed against him and former president Rodrigo Duterte by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV before the Office of the Ombudsman.

- MARC JAYSON CAYABYAB

"To Mr. Trillanes, you are barking at the wrong tree," Go said at a press briefing.

Trillanes said the charges were archived by then ombudsman Samuel Martires, who was "protecting" Duterte, although without prejudice to the refiling of the complaint.

Trillanes said he waited for Martires to retire as ombudsman before filing the case.

Go said he is ready to face the ombudsman to answer the allegations that construction firms owned by his father and half-brother had cornered P7 billion worth of government infrastructure contracts during the Duterte administration.

Trillanes had previously filed the complaint, Go said, over the contracts bagged by his father's CLTG Builders and his half-brother's Alfrego Builders and Supply.

Go was also sued for the firms' joint venture deals with contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya's St. Gerrard Construction.