The confrontation between Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Miguel Zubiri at the Senate floor last week refreshed the public’s mind of relevant issues which have been relegated to the sidelines by more horrifying reports like the murder of Korean businessman Ick-joo Jee by police officers inside Camp Crame just a few meters away from the office of Police Chief Ronald de la Rosa.
This is not the first time that Trillanes and Zubiri clashed. Way back in 2007, when Zubiri edged out Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III from the winning circle of senatorial candidates with manufactured votes from Maguindanao, Trillanes, who won while in detention, said “I believe Congressman Zubiri knows deep in his heart that he benefited from cheating. If he is decent enough, he wouldn’t accept victory in the Senate race because that is not something you want your kids to emulate.”
Zubiri called Trillanes “a loose cannon” and “immature” and threatened to sue the Navy officer -turned rebel-turned- senator.
Zubiri occupied the Senate seat that was not his for four years before he gave it up after Pimentel’s election protest prospered.
Last Tuesday, the tiff was over the resolution filed by Senator Franklin Drilon for the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Conduct headed by Trillanes to investigate the P50 million bribery scandal involving officials of the Bureau of Immigration officials, two of them fraternity brothers of President Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre.
Zubiri opposed it as he wanted the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights headed by Senator Richard Gordon to probe the bribery.
Trillanes, in a media interview, voiced his concern that Gordon and Zubiri would “whitewash” the bribery scandal. Zubiri resented his being referred to as a Duterte defender in the Senate and recalled Trillanes’ record as a rebel officer.
Zubiri’s use of the label “rebel officer” to get back at Trillanes is like the foolish monkey threatening the clever turtle that he would be thrown into the water.
In July 2003, Trillanes and more than 300 officers and soldiers stood up against the government of Gloria Arroyo demanding an end to corruption in the military. They made a stand at the then Oakwood Hotel in Makati.
In November 2009, Trillanes with fellow Magdalo officers, walked out of the court hearing in Makati City Hall and marched to demand the resignation of Arroyo who was embroiled with the “Hello Garci” scandal and election fraud in the 2004 elections. They seized Manila Peninsula where they held their stand until their surrender in the evening.
In a privilege speech, Trillanes took the issues Zubiri raised head on:
“First, Yes, I was accused of rebellion and proud of it; I believe it is one of the shining moments in my life. So it’s a badge of honor.”
As to Senate investigation of the overpriced Makati City Hall parking, Trillanes said, Senate President Koko Pimentel was the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that conducted the probe. “If there are some insinuations that it was a propaganda or just an attack on the person of the Vice President, it should also be directed to the Senate President,” he said.
As to the issue that he accused President Duterte of having P200 million in the bank, Trillanes corrected Zubiri. “Well let me correct the gentleman, he (Duterte) had P2 billion in deposits. So that’s a correction. It would be presented later on and in fact, it is one of the attached documents of the plunder case I filed against the President at the Office of the Ombudsman.”
Trillanes’ exposé of Duterte’s BPI account (jointly held with daughter, Sara, Davao city mayor), which were not reflected in his 2014 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN), made during the last few weeks of the 2016 election campaign, is one issue that continue to rankle Duterte. That’s the reason for his hostility towards the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) officials suspecting them of being the source of the senator’s documents.
Trillanes’ has never been known to put popularity and personal comfort over matters he strongly believes in. That separates him a mile wide from Zubiri.
sad is, dahil sa katabilan ng kanyang bibig, itinakwil si trillanes ng mismong kanyang mga ka-mistah, upperclassmen and seniors sa PMA.
i for one regret believing him not until i witnessed kung gaano siya kawalang galang noong mag-walk out sila sa korte sa kalagitnaan ng hearing sa makati kung saan kitang kita kung paano niya akbayan si BGen Danny Lim na nakasuot ng uniporme at tila pakaladkad niyang kaagapay papuntang peninsula hotel.
he is not living up with the tradition of a cadet. napakabastos niya at parang siya na lamang ang napakagaling sa senado. napakalayo niya sa bearing ni senator lacson, a former PMA cadet like him and once a PNP chief whose words and actions are always full of wisdom in discharging his capacity as a lawmaker.
MR, sino-sino ang nagtakwil sa kanya? Yun bang mga kakampi ni Angelo Reyes? Si Esperon? si Barias? Yun ba ang mga idol mo?
Upperclassmen who hates his guts because they can’t do what he did?
Look at what he stands for. He has never wavered.
I was at Manila Pen and there was no disrespect of Trillanes to BGen. Lim.
Sa akin, wala pa akong nakitang mali na ginawa ni Trillanes para sa bansa para itakwil ko siya. 🙂
He is not perfect, but he is above those who claim to love the country but say and do otherwise.
I won’t raise a howl if the AFP stages a coup and installs Trillanes as caudillo. That’s how much I respect and trust Trillanes.
#2. there was a letter gathering signatures condemning the behavior of trillanes because of his arrogance and disrespect towards his fellow lawmakers sometime in september 2016. signatories include the PMAAAI, the association of generals and FO, active and retired military and police officers and men and civilians from different parts of the globe as well as filipino community groups.
that, i assumed in its content is a sign of disowning trillanes.
you may not notice the action of disrespect of trillanes toward BGen Lim during that walk out, pero sa AFP according to our rules, SIGN OF DISRESPECT yung senior and ranking lalo’t nakauniporme ay aakbayan ng isang subordinate.
ellen, WALA akong IDOL na maituturing sa mga dati kong kasamahan at opisyal. kung meron mang matatawag ayon na din sa inyong magiging interpretasyon sina MGen Palparan at BGen Lim yun dahil nakasama ko na siula at nakita ko’t napatunayan na sila ay mga totoong tao na may malasakit sa kanilang mga tauhan.
hindi man ako sang-ayon sa inyong mga opinyon tungkol kay trillanes dahil sa kanyang mga inaasal at ginagawi sa kasalukuyan, HINDI ibig sabihin niyon ay nawawala ang aking respeto sa inyo.
sarili kong pananaw yun, ayon sa aking obserbasyon at iginagalang ko kung anuman ang inyong posisyon.
Ellen, Sometimes in 2012 or 2011, then Young MP Justin Trudeau and the Youngest Senator appointed by the Conservative Govt. Patrick Brazeau, a native Canadian had a spat or disagreement and instead of exchanging heated argument for nothing the Two agreed to settle their argument inside the Ring..
Most everyone expect that the Senator would whip the Young Trudeau in the first round, but the Trudeaus are sportmen and Justin was trained boxer by his Father as a youngster..Senator Brazeau is a professional bodybuilder and also worked as a bar bouncer and the two Decided that the will Fight for the benefit of Cancer Foundation since Senator Brazeau mother died of lung Cancer and former PM Pierre Trudeau died of Prostrate Cancer…
It was a sold out and the referee has to stop the Fight in third round for Justin Trudeau…Senator Brazeau can no longer defend his self and was badly beaten… the Fight raised a lot of money for Cancer foundation. And also helped Justin journey to become the Prime Minister.
Marami talaga magagalit kay Trillanes na senior officers. Nagunaw na kasi yung “pabaon system” na milyun milyon ang pinapatong sa retirement pay ng mga retiring Generals. Nagmukhang kawawa ang mga sundalo dahil tinitipid ng Camp Aguinaldo ang mga benepisyo ng malilit na sundalo para may maibulsa ang mga heneral. Dapat nga magpasalamat pa sila kay Trillanes dahil sa dami ng increase in pay and benefits na tinatamasa ng ordinaryong sundalo maging officers.
Dati sardinas at Skyflakes lang kasya sa allowance, lalo na yung napapasubo sa bakbakan sa ARMM, ngayon naka-Jollibee na sila.