14 senators back ethics case vs Trillanes, says Gordon

Sen. Richard Gordon said on Monday that he had the support of more than 14 senators in his ethics complaint against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

Gordon filed his complaint against Trillanes in the Senate ethics committee on Monday night.

He complained about Trillanes’ “continued and unabated unparliamentary acts, language and conduct and disorderly behavior” during the Aug. 31 hearing on the smuggling of P6.4 billion worth of “shabu” (crystal meth) from China through the Bureau of Customs.

“The continuing, schematic and incorrigible abrasive conduct of Senator Trillanes should be dealt with accordingly, maybe a censure is not enough,” Gordon said in his complaint.

Under the Senate rules, the committee could censure, suspend or remove an erring senator.

Emerging from a caucus of the 17-member majority bloc, Gordon said his complaint was being supported by “more than 14” senators.

Except for Sen. JV Ejercito who was on sick leave, 16 senators belonging to the majority bloc attended the caucus led by Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

“I never even talked to any senator as God is my witness on the day of my birthday. I never talked to any senator to get their vote,” Gordon told reporters.

Ill treatment

He said Trillanes did not belong to the Senate, citing the way the latter had treated him as chair of the blue ribbon committee.

Gordon also noted that Trillanes had accused other senators of being puppets of the Duterte administration.

The two legislators had a heated exchange at last week’s hearing on the shabu shipment from China after the latter asked that Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio be summoned to the hearing for their alleged involvement in the attempted smuggling.

Gordon said the committee could not just summon anyone based on hearsay.

Trillanes slammed Gordon’s panel as a “comité de absuelto” (committee of exoneration).

Trillanes on Monday said it was premature for Gordon to say that he had the support of the majority of senators in the ethics complaint against him.

Political game

“I understand the political game but it’s a long process. There will be a hearing. Eventually it will be presented to the plenary and it will be voted on. So it’s premature for him to say who is supporting him,” he told reporters.

Pimentel said the Senate had no choice but to tackle Gordon’s complaint because what happened was not good. “So, this has to be resolved.”

Pimentel said the complaint would go through the normal process of investigation and recommendation by the committee.

It was the second time Gordon and Trillanes clashed at hearings of the blue ribbon committee.

The first was when Gordon led an inquiry into “extrajudicial killings” in the war on drugs last year.