Monday 21 August 2017

Triallanes wants Gordon out of the Blue Ribbon Committee


 

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV strikes again.
If it can be given his way, he would like Senator Richard Gordon out of the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon Committee because he perceives Senator Gordon as lawyering for President Rodrigo Duterte.


Trillanes wants Gordon out of the Blue Ribbon Committee for being unfit and clear loyalty to President Duterte (photo credit to Philstar)

He cites the committee hearing for the Bureau of Customs where P6.4 billion worth of shabu shipment from China got inside Philippine territory and was eventually found inside a warehouse in Valenzuela City. He accuses Gordon of not giving other senators the opportunity to propound questions to the guests of the committee hearings.

“A chair is a moderator and he should allow senators to question [the resource persons]. You give respect to the other senators,” Trillanes said in the radio interview.

He said he was only given a mere 5 minutes to ask his questions and was not able or was not given the chance to make a follow up questions during last weeks third hearing where Bureau of Customs Chief Nicanor Faeldon was at the stand.

Senator Trillanes will, if the majority bloc would not heed his call take the floor tomorrow (Tuesday) to call anew the replacement of the chairmanship of the powerful Blue Ribbon Committee as well as the ground rules for an informal rule regarding how each senator will be given the chance to propound his questions in committee hearings.
Senator Trillanes since the election campaign of 2016 have been known to attack and criticize then Mayor and now President Duterte.

Loyalty to Duterte

Trillanes also claims that Gordon is no longer fit to head the chairmanship because of his blind loyalty to the sitting president. Trillanes blames the resurgence of the so-called extra-judicial killings (EJKs) when the Gordon-led inquiry gave a conclusion that there were no EJKs or state sponsored EJKs.

“Gordon cannot claim innocence here. The blood is on his hands,” Trillanes said.

“His loyalty to Duterte has affected his objectivity as he sometimes appears to be lawyering for/defending him,” said Trillanes.

He further adds that Gordon “has lost the moral authority to lead another extrajudicial killing investigation because he whitewashed the one conducted last year.’’

Senator Panfilo Lacson another ally of the president in the senate that the call of Senator trillanes to replace Gordon will be discussed by the majority in their caucus. Lacson, did not gave any comment as to how Gordon handled the committee hearing regarding the shabu shipment from China.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III when asked about Trillanes call to replaced Gordon as chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee he merely replied ““There is no clamor from within the majority for any change in the committee chairmanship.”
report for PDI



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