By Meanne Corvera
Eagle News Service
The Senate committee on ethics has declared the complaint filed by Senator Richard Gordon against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV “sufficient in form and substance.”
The ethics committee led by Senator Vicente Sotto III, also the Senate majority leader, gave Trillanes 10 days to respond to the allegations stated in the complaint, which Gordon filed after the former military man indirectly accused him of “badgering” a witness during a hearing into corruption in the Bureau of Customs.
Gordon noted that it was about time Trillanes–who earlier called senators “puppets,” among others— was disciplined for what he said was his penchant for insulting the Senate and its members.
The ethics committee, however, did not accept one of Gordon’s basis for filing the ethics complaint against Trillanes, which was the former military man’s participation in the Oakwood mutiny in November 2007.
The committee said this took place when Trillanes was not yet senator.
According to Sotto, as soon as they receive Trillanes’ reply, Gordon would be given a chance to respond, after which hearings into the complaint would take place.