MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, among the staunchest critics of President Rodrigo Duterte, did not mind being declared a persona non grata in Davao City, where the chief executive became mayor for over two decades.
In a statement issued Tuesday, February 13, Trillanes said that his statement about the crime rate in the city was based on facts.
“The truth, definitely, hurts. My statement was based on the December 2015 statistics of the PNP (Philippine National Police) that Davao City has the highest incidence of murder and second highest in rape,” the senator said.
“The people of Davao either know it but tolerate it out of fear or they’ve actually believed the lie that was fed to them that Davao City is the safest city in the world,” added the lawmaker.
Earlier in the day, the Davao City Council approved a resolution filed by Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag, declaring Trillanes a persona non-grata in connection with the senator’s statement last year that Davao was among the most dangerous places in the Philippines.