Gordon to file ethics complaint vs Trillanes

August 31, 2017

Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday he will file an ethics complaint against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after the two engaged in a heated argument in a hearing.

"(A) Senator  is supposed to act in a most cordial and most gentlemanly manner that's why we call each other gentleman " said Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue ribbon committee which was hearing the shabu smuggling case.

Trillanes turned in a motion to the committee to invite Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, the son of President Rodrigo Duterte and Mans Carpio, son-in-law of the president, to attend the next hearing.

Gordon said the Blue Ribbon committee will not invite individuals linked in the issue based on hearsay.

Mark Taguba, a customs broker allegedly involved in the shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China,  claimed Duterte and Carpio as part of the Davao Group.

Trillanes said other resource persons he asked to be included in the hearing were invited but they became "jittery" when the son of the president was tagged in the issue.

"You are so fond of making names here, making general statement. If you want to make general statement you better prove it", Gordon said to Trillanes. "He is accusing everybody in the Senate of everything", he said.

Trillanes answered Gordon by saying "only you, Mr. Chairman".

He called the chairmanship of Gordon as "irrational ruling and behavior". "You have been doing a one man show, a monologue for several hours", Trillanes said.

Trillanes said Gordon has no credibility in being a chairman of the committee.

The session was suspended for around five minutes.

Gordon said he will file the ethics complaint against Trillanes on Monday with the signatures of the other senators. Alanna Ambi/DMS