SENATOR Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday disclosed he had been praying for a change in the Senate leadership especially in the chairmanship of the Blue Ribbon committee which he said should go to an “independent-minded senator and not to a “lapdog” of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Speaking in the regular lKapihan sa Senado, Trillanes stressed the Senate Blue Ribbon committee would just be used by Duterte as his protection.
The committee is currently headed by Senator Richard Gordon, a known ally of the President.
The opposition senator also divulged that he had been telling Senate President Aqulino Pimentel III that changing the chairmanship of the said committee was the “key” to keep the Senate’s independence.
“Whatever it takes, the blue ribbon committee chairman must be replaced, but if the Senate President will be replaced and then he [Gordon] is again the Blue Ribbon committee chairman, it’s just the same,” said Trillanes.
If there’s an opportunity to change the incumbent leadership in the chamber, he said he would “grab” the chance if only to make sure the Blue Ribbon committee, currently chaired by Gordon, would go to an “open-minded” senator.
The opposition senator even declared he would only be satisfied if Gordon would be kicked out as the committee chair, but if not, he would support any moves to change the Senate leadership.
Trillanes has been asking for Gordon’s head since last year.
Trillanes has been criticizing Gordon’s way of handling the committee’s investigation on the controversial P6.4 billion shabu shipment from Xiamen, China.
Pimentel said he was prepared to give up his post if his colleagues in the Upper chamber wanted another leader.
But Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III debunked reports on a change in the Senate leadership, which could likely happen after the hearing of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.