A tense moment occured during the hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday at past 11 am.
Committee Chairman Richard Gordon is filing a complaint against Senator Antonio Trillanes in the Ethics Committee, following a heated exchange that took place between them.
Gordon was irked when Trillanes called the panel "committee de abswelto."
Trillanes was trying to compel the committee to summon Davao City vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and Mans Carpio, the son-in-law of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Prior to this, Trillanes said that the vice mayor must be told to appear in the hearing "unless there are sacred cows."
Trillanes made the motion to summon Duterte and Carpio.
At one point, he made a criticism against fellow lawmakers.
Gordon asked Trillanes directly who he was alluding to.
Aside from Trillanes, only Gordon and Sotto were the senators present in the inquiry.
"If you feel alluded to, so be it," Trillanes said.
This, Gordon, could not take anymore.
"I will move for your contempt," he told Trillanes.
Then he declared a short break.
But Trillanes was heard on the microphone muttering the words, "this is a committee de abswelto."
Gordon resumed the hearing.
He expressed his frustration at Trillanes.
"This gentleman from Bicol has been accusing the members of the Senate of everything," he said, addressing Sotto, who is the Senate Majority Leader.
Trillanes said this was the only instance he was accusing a senator of something.
Gordon recalled, "(Senator Migz) Zubiri and you had already slugged it out."
He said whenever Trillanes was angry about something, he would stage a coup and he would be forgiven and later on, he would launch another mutiny.
Trillanes retaliated, saying Gordon had set up a barricade in Subic, Zambales.
In the midst of the argument, Gordon said he would file an ethics case.
As the word war continued, another break in the hearing was declared.
Sotto stood in-between the two senators who were still arguing.
Operatives from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) surrounded the lawmakers in the session hall.
OSAA Chief Jose Balajadia Jr. quietly stood behind Trillanes.
Trillanes walked out of the session hall.
But he came back when the hearing resumed after a few minutes.
Gordon did not recognize Trillanes' motion to ask more questions from witness Mark Taguba.
The committee chairman proceeded to ask other resource persons as he continued the probe on the P 6.4 billion shabu shipment that went past the Bureau of Customs' green lane last May.
