Senator Antonio Trillanes IV should explain and apologize or face an ethics complaint for accusing the Senate committee on justice and human rights of allegedly orchestrating the hearing last Monday supposedly 鈥渢o shame鈥� some of its members, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said on Wednesday.
Zubiri said Trillanes鈥� accusation made during a radio interview Tuesday was unfair, saying it was not true that the committee had planned to gang up on him and Senator Leila de Lima, who have been vocal against President Rodrigo Duterte.
In fact, he said, he was a member of the justice committee but was never told about any plan of action to either terminate the ongoing hearing on the alleged extrajudicial killings in the country or to gang up on Trillanes and De Lima.
鈥淲hat Senator Trillanes had said over the radio that members of the committee had planned this beforehand to gang up on them is an unfair statement. As far as I鈥檓 concerned, I was never called upon by anybody to come up with a plan of action to terminate the hearing or gang up on them,鈥� Zubiri said.
鈥淚 think Senator Trillanes should explain why he said that on radio鈥t the very least they should explain to us before we act on the matter on why they should not be reprimanded for coming out with these accusations na hindi naman totoo (which are untrue),鈥� he said.
Zubiri said Trillanes should also apologize for what he said against the committee.
But if there is still a need for the Senate ethics committee to look into the issue, then Zubiri said: 鈥淪o be it.鈥�
Asked if he would support the filing of an ethics complaint against Trillanes if he is not satisfied by the latter鈥檚 explanation, he said: 鈥淵eah, because nilalaglag nya lahat ng members ng committee na wala naman syang pruweba o katotohananan (he threw all the members under the bus without presenting proof).鈥�
Zubiri, on the other hand, saw no reason for the filing of an ethics complaint against De Lima, who walked out of the hearing room in the middle of a heated debate with justice committee chair, Senator Richard Gordon and some of the committee members.
鈥淚n fairness sa kanya (De Lima), wala naman akong narinig sa kanya (In fairness to De Lima, I haven鈥檛 heard anything from her),鈥� he said, adding that听 the lady senator had already apologized for walking out of the hearing.
READ: Gordon mulls filing ethics complaint vs De Lima for 鈥榰nparliamentary鈥� remaks, conduct
Despite the heated exchange and De Lima鈥檚 walk out, Gordon鈥檚 committee has decided to continue with the hearings on the killings.
鈥淎s far as I鈥檓 concerned, I want it terminated na because it鈥檚 putting deep divisions in the friendship of members of the Senate,鈥� Zubiri said.
鈥淟et鈥檚 put closure on that already and move on. Pag may galit pa yung ating mga kasamahan dito sa situation kay (If some of our colleagues here are still dissatisfied with the situation regarding) Duterte, why don鈥檛 you just get all the evidences, go to the House of Representatives, file ng (an) impeachment case, file whatever case that they want at the proper agencies instead of making a circus or a spectacle of the Senate,鈥� he added. CDG
READ: Gordon, De Lima feud over Matobato kidnap case; drug slay hearing stopped
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