Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (L) and President Rodrigo Duterte. INQUIRER FILES
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday blasted his colleagues in the Senate for being lapdogs of President Duterte, turning the institution as the “last bastion of democracy” to merely “puppets” of the administration.
“‘Yung Senado na dating last bastion of demoracy, ngayon wala na. Para na rin kaming mga tuta ng administrasyon na ‘to (The Senate used to be the last bastion of demoracy, but now it’s not. It’s as if we’re lapdogs of the administration),” Trillanes said during the Kapihan sa Manila Hotel forum on Monday.
Without mentioning any names, Trillanes, one of the Duterte administration’s fiercest critics, called some senators “cowards” for refusing to investigate issues that would hurt Duterte and his administration.
“Ni ayaw magimbestiga eh. Dito ka makakakita ng mga senador na takot. Kaalyado ka na lang kasi ayaw mong aminin na takot ka eh,” he said.
(They don’t want to investigate. You can see senators who are afraid. You’re just an ally because you don’t want to admit you’re afraid.)
Trillanes slammed chairpersons of some committees who should be looking into the “abuses” of the Duterte administration but fail to do their mandate out of fear.
“Those handling committees na dapat nasa forefront nitong pagchecheck ng abuses ng administration na ‘to, ‘yung mga ibang senador na hawak na committee nasa periphery lang, eh ginagawa ‘yung trabaho, pero ‘yung dapat sana na pumuna, wala eh. Sila pa ‘yung mga bahag ang buntot,” the senator said.
(Those handling committees who are supposed to be in the forefront in checking the abuses of the administration, the other senators who hold a committee are just in the periphery do their jobs, but those who are supposed to scrutinize aren’t there. They’re cowards.)
Trillanes said the Senate, aside from the Philippine National Police, was among the most damaged institutions since Duterte took office in July. JE