BATASAN COMPLEX, Quezon City — Losing his cool at eleventh day of inquiry into his brutal drug war by the House Quad Committee, former President Rodrigo Duterte made a gesture as if aiming to hit former senators Leila de Lima and Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV during their confrontation.

Duterte apparently lost his temper at the House Quad Comm hearing after his nemesis, ex-senator Trillanes revived old allegations that suspicious funds were funneled into his family’s bank accounts.

The former chief executive grabbed his microphone and gestured to throw it at Trillanes but was pacified by his lawyers. Because of his outburst, the proceedings were suspended for seven minutes.

Trillanes, who was a resource person in yesterday’s hearing, delivered a presentation alleging that bank documents he received supposedly belonging to the Duterte family showed that ₱2.4 billion was deposited to Duterte’s and his daughter Sara Duterte’s bank account from 2011 to 2015.

Trillanes likewise claimed that Duterte’s 2016 campaign contributor, Sammy Uy, deposited ₱120 million to the bank accounts of Duterte family members.

In a prior inquiry, former Davao Death Squad insider Arturo Lascañas alleged in an affidavit submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that Uy was connected to the illegal drug trade.


“We can see the pattern. The drug lord would pay dividends to the Duterte family every October and April, and it happened regularly. We can see that Vice President Sara has two checks that were cashed there. This was while she was mayor. That is direct bribery,” Trillanes pointed out.
Earlier in the hearing, Duterte also made the same gesture of appearing to hit De Lima.

Duterte said he does know de Lima when Batangas lawmaker Gerville Luistro asked him if he was aware of the Laud quarry in Davao City which the Commission on Human Rights investigators led by then CHR chairperson de Lima identified as a grave site for Davao Death Squad victims.

“Sorry, I do not know [of de Lima],” Duterte said in reply to Luistro’s question.

De Lima later called out Duterte for saying so.

“He said hindi niya kilala kung sino man iyan, iyong taga-CHR na iyan. Nagtataka po ako roon. He’s lying when he said he does not know me. Iyong DDS, iyong public hearing po namin, CHR inquiry sa Davao, siya po as then mayor,” she disclosed.

“Secondly, there he had so many public pronouncements na ako ay tinitira niya, binabastos niya, kung anu-ano iyong mga sinasabi niya sa akin, binabantaan rin ako, saying you will rot in jail, Leila de Lima,” she added.

Duterte replied by saying he did not recognize de Lima due to her new hairstyle.

“She has changed her hairdo, hindi ko nakilala,” Duterte said.

After saying so, Duterte gestured at throwing a punch a de Lima, who was sitting beside him.