TWO senators almost came to blows on Tuesday after trading insults stemming from a Liberal Party plan to initiate a reorganization in the Bureau of Immigration, but cooler heads averted what appeared to be an imminent Senate fisticuff.
Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Antonio Trillanes IV taunted each other on the Senate floor after the ruling coalition rejected a proposal that Trillanes committee investigate the alleged bribery of two sacked immigration commissioner over the case of casino mogul Jack Lam.
Zubiri slammed Trillanes for saying the ruling coalition wanted to whitewash the investigation which, administration senators said, was only aimed at opening another circus similar to the probe of confessed hitman Edgar Matobato.
“I’m a kind person and people know me. I’m one of the amiable senators of this chamber but if you pick a fight, I didn’t become world champion arnis for nothing. Come out here. Don’t say it in the media,” Zubiri challenged Trillanes.
Aside from being accused of whitewashing, Zubiri noted that he also took offense at Trillanes for calling him a “cheater” and a “defender of the faith,” alluding to Duterte.
“Mr. President, I take offense that one of our colleagues claims whitewashing. Never in my nine years as House member, and four years as a member of this august chamber have I been accused of stalling or stopping investigation,” Zubiri also said in his privilege speech.
Senate President Koko Pimentel butted in and reminded the senators to refrain from using offensive words, considered “unparliamentary language” as he would allow the clashes of ideas.
Taking the Senate floor, Trillanes admitted it was indeed his intention to offend Zubiri.
“I’m glad that the gentleman took offense because in fact, the statement was meant to be offensive. So at least he feels something,” he said.
Senators Manny Pacquiao and Cynthia Villar succeeded in pacifying the two senators but the matter spurred speculations on why LP senators wanted a reorganization of the BI with observers saying former Senate president Franklin Drilon, who made the original proposal, only wanted his nominees named to the two BI vacancies.
Others claimed the BI probe was meant to pit Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morante against his boss Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, with whom he has had disagreements, and pave the way for the return of Lam, who has several business interests in the country.
The root of the quarrel was Drilon’s Senate Resolution No. 256, which proposed that Trillanes’ panel to look into a possible BI reorganization, citing the two immigration officials who allegedly accepted bribes from Lam.
When Drilon’s resolution was referred to Trillanes’ committee, it was questioned by Zubiri, who said it would be “prudent” that Drilon’s resolution be handled instead by the Senate committee on justice chaired by Sen. Richhard Gordon.
Voting 14-7, the Senate stopped on Monday Trillanes from leading the probe into the alleged bribery involving the fraternity brothers of Aguirre.