WATCH: Trillanes, Zubiri trade barbs over ‘whitewash’ remark

Another heated exchange between two senators marred the second day of the resumption of session at the Senate on Tuesday.

This time, Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Juan Miguel Zubiri traded insults over the former’s accusation in the media that Zubiri and Senator Richard Gordon were allegedly attempting to “whitewash” the Senate’s investigation of the P50-million bribery scandal at the Bureau of immigration (BI).

Zubiri said he took offense at Trillanes’ accusation, saying that after nine years as a member of the House of Representatives and four years in the Senate, he was never accused of “whitewashing,” “stonewalling” or “stopping” any investigation.

It was Zubiri and Gordon, who questioned Monday the referral to Trillanes’ committee on civil service, government reorganization and professional conduct of Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon’s resolution, seeking a possible overhaul of the BI in the light of the bribery scandal.

READ: Drilon’s reso on BI inquiry, overhaul sparks Senate skirmish

Majority of senators later voted to approve a motion to reconsider the referral of Drilon’s resolution and have it referred instead to the committee on rules.

“I take offense on that Mr. President and I don’t know what should be done—whether it should be taken up by the ethics committee or the gentleman involved to this representation,” said Zubiri, who took the floor to express his disappointment at Trillanes.

“There’s no such whitewash, there’s no such plan,” he said.

And to prove that there was no whitewash, Zubiri moved that Gordon, as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee, immediately conduct an investigation on the bribery scandal.

“I will never be a part of any whitewash. I take offense on that Mr. President,” he said.

But Trillanes stood by his accusation against his two colleagues, saying they should have expected a reaction from him after they “blocked” his committee, in which Drilon’s resolution was first referred to, from probing the bribery scandal.

“I’m glad that the gentleman took offense because in fact, the statement was meant to be offensive. So at least he feels something,” he said.

“And I’d like to take, on the other hand, on his statement that he has never been accused of any impropriety because as we recall, especially the Senate President, back in 2007, he, in fact resigned from the Senate because he was proven to have cheated during the 2007 elections.”

He was referring to Zubiri’s resignation from the Senate amid allegations that he cheated during the 2004 polls.

“If you want to declare war, then you should be prepared to have war,” Trillanes said.

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, who was presiding over the session, later decided to suspend the hearing to ease the tension between the two senators.

Monday’s resumption of session was also marred by a verbal tussle between Drilon and Gordon as to what committee should investigate the bribery scandal. RAM/rga

Originally posted at 05:37 pm | January 17, 2016