Senate set to hear ethics plaint filed by Gordon against Trillanes

The Senate is set to hear on Monday morning the ethics complaint filed by Senator Richard Gordon against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV following the latter’s “comite de absuelto” remark during a Senate investigation on August 31.

In the 23-page complaint filed before the ethics and privileges committee on September 4, Gordon said Trillanes engaged in “unparliamentary acts and uttered unparliamentary language and exhibited disorderly behavior,” which is “causing damage to the Senate and to the people.”

READ: Gordon formally files ethics complaint vs Trillanes

During the probe on the P6.4 billion drug shipment that went past Bureau of Customs (BOC), Trillanes branded Gordon’s blue ribbon committee as “comite de absuelto” as he accused him and Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto III of lawyering for the presidential son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio.

READ: Trillanes, Gordon trading insults mars BOC hearing

“All senators are expected to be the embodiment of competence, integrity and diligence. As members of the Senate, we are also expected to conduct ourselves in accordance with accepted and prescribed standards of behavior, and not exhibit abject ignorance of both the Rules of the Senate and proper decorum,” Gordon said in his complaint.

Trillanes, meanwhile, downplayed the complaint as a “political game” and said he is confident he “did not do anything improper nor unparliamentary.”

“Mas marami tayong nakitang karumal-dumal na ginagawa ng iba but walang ganyan so sige, naiintindihan ko ‘yung political game nila,” he said.(I’ve seen worse acts by others but they did not file any ethics complaint, so I understand this as a political game.)

READ: Gordon, Trillanes clash over invite to Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio

Gordon earlier claimed his complaint against Trillanes had the support of at least 14 senators.