Trillanes shows proof he’s not copying old bills

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – There’s no let-up in the feud between Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Trillanes on Monday showed proof that he was the first to file the archipelagic baselines bill which was enacted as Republic Act No. 9522 to dispute Enrile’s claim that he copied it from old versions of the proposed measure.

Trillanes detailed in a statement released Monday the history of the bill and pointed out that he

“The other senators who filed their versions of the bill were former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr on March 26 2008, Senator Edgardo Angara on April 22, 2008, former Senator Rodolfo Biazon on April 29, 2008, and Enrile on April 2008,” Trillanes said in the statement.

“This clearly shows that Enrile was only the fifth senator to file a similar bill, eight and a half months after I filed my baselines bill,” Trillanes said.

Enrile had earlier slammed Trillanes in radio interviews saying he was not the original author of the bill. Trillanes accused Enrile of lying to destroy his reputation.

The two have been engaged in a word war ever since Trillanes accused Enrile of pressuring other senators to pass a bill creating the new province of Nueva Camarines. Enrile fired back at Trillanes by disclosing the notes of Ambassador Sonia Brady detailing Trillanes’ role in the alleged back-channel negotiations with China.

“The records do not lie. Once again, Enrile has been caught lying on an issue just so he could destroy other people’s reputations and divert the public’s attention,” Trillanes said.