THE Senate on Monday voted 14-7 to stop Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s committee from investigating the bribery scandal involving former Bureau of Immigration officials and instituting a reorganization in the bureau.
The senators reversed the referral of Senate Resolution No. 256, filed by Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon, urging the Senate Committee on Civil Service, Government Reorganization and Professional Conduct, chaired by Trillanes, to look into the matter.
Senator Miguel Zubiri opposed the resolution and said it was “prudent” to refer the resolution to the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, led by Senator Richard Gordon, because the BI was an agency under the Department of Justice.
Gordon supported Zubiri’s objections and questioned the motive of the resolution, saying Senator Leila de Lima also sought an investigation on the matter.
“We can all decide for ourselves where it is headed,” Gordon said, suggesting that the probe would be turned into another circus similar to the one involving confessed gun-for-hire Edgar Matobato.
But Drilon defended his resolution against Gordon’s suggestions that there were ulterior motives in the proposed probe.
De Lima also lashed back at Gordon and said “imputation of some kind of bad faith or ill motive is definitely very offensive.”
Trillanes also hit back at Gordon, saying he should just respect the referral of the resolution. “If they don’t like your committee, why force the issue?” he said.
The senators, however, voted to reconsider the referral and refered the matter to the Senate Committee on Rules, chaired by Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.