Trillanes threatens to oust Pimentel as Senate President; Pimentel lashes back: “Go ahead”

(Eagle News) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday threatened to  have Senator Koko  Pimentel removed as Senate President if he allowed Senator Richard Gordon to remain as Senate blue ribbon committee chair.

“I will put the responsibility kay Senator (Pimentel) kapag hindi nila tinanggal si Senator Gordon..,” Trillanes said at the Kapihan sa Senado.

He said Gordon, who has filed an ethics complaint against Trillanes for his supposed malicious remarks against him during a Senate committee hearing on the P6.4-billion drug shipment that slipped through the Customs bureau in May, “should have the mindset of an investigator and not of a defense lawyer.”

Trillanes had alleged in the hearing that Gordon was lawyering for the Dutertes.

According to Trillanes,  it was obvious Gordon was protecting President Rodrigo Duterte and his family from corruption and smuggling allegations, among others, during Senate inquiries.

“Wala bang mas maayos diyan? Kasi blue ribbon committee, kailangan ito talagang objective siya, wala siyang kinatatakutan,” he said.

“Go ahead”

But in a brief statement, Pimentel shrugged off the ouster threat, saying Trillanes can “go ahead” with his plans.

“This is a free country,” he said.