...Ethics complaint to proceed
The Senate ethics committee found yesterday Sen. Richard Gordon’s complaint against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as sufficient in form and substance, and directed the latter to respond in 10 days.
The committee, chaired by Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, met to discuss the complaint, which was triggered by a heated argument between the two senators during a hearing of the Blue Ribbon committee into the P6.4billion drug shipment from China last Aug. 31.
Trillanes accused members of the committee, chaired by Gordon, of “lawyering” for members of President Duterte’s family, including his eldest son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
After a brief discussion among the committee members, the panel found Gordon’s 23-page complaint against Trillanes sufficient in form and substance.
Among those present during the meeting were Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sens. Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV and Risa Hontiveros.
“Parliamentary immunity must not be used as a mode to ridicule, demean and destroy the reputation of the Senate and its members nor as avenue for personal wrath and disgust,” Sotto said at the meeting.
“Parliamentary immunity is not an individual privilege according to the individual members of Congress for their own personal benefits, but rather a privilege for the benefit of the people and the institution,” he said.
Sotto stressed that the panel should not waver to act “when the words uttered constitute an act of utter disrespect and is offensive to a colleague and the Senate as an institution.”
The committee, however, struck down one issue raised by Gordon in the complaint he filed last Sept. 4: Trillanes’ involvement in military uprisings against the government when he was still a Navy lieutenant.
“The continuing, schematic and incorrigible abrasive conduct of Sen. Trillanes should be dealt with accordingly, maybe a censure is not even enough,” Gordon said in his complaint.
“He is devoid of proper bearing and demeanor and continuously exhibits unbridled immaturity,” he said.
Trillanes has repeatedly denied that he committed any unparliamentary acts and vowed to file his own ethics complaint against Gordon in the coming weeks.
Trillanes willing to face Gordon
When asked about the development in the committee, Trillanes said he would respect whatever decision the panel would make.
“I will submit to the process, and face it wholeheartedly,” he said, adding that he was willing to face Gordon in a hearing if the panel requires it.
Sotto said the panel can resolve the case in two months, barring any hitches. He said sanctions that may be imposed by the committee include reprimand, suspension or expulsion.