Trillanes says he won't give up Senate committees

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InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Sunday said he won’t give up the three standing committees he heads amid the call of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that he should resign from those bodies.

“Bakit ko bibitawan eh I am entitled to that? So kung tatanggalin nila ako, dapat pagbotohan nila sa plenary (Why should I resign when I am entitled to that? So if they are going to remove me, they should vote in plenary),” Trillanes said.

He said he will challenge Enrile at the resumption of the Senate sessions on October 8.

“Doon natin malalaman sa pagbubukas ng sesyon at pag-uusapan namin sa partido kung ano ang entitled to the party, for us (We will know at the resumption of the session. We at the party will talk about what the party is entitled to),” he said.

He said that if Enrile would strip him of his committees, he will challenge the Senate chief to put the motion to a vote.

“Kung babrasuhin niya, eh pagbotohan sa plenary para tanggalin ako (If he insists, then the plenary should vote on it),” he said.

Trillanes heads the Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization, amateur sports competitiveness, and the oversight committee on special government procurement. He is also a member of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET).

He said that the committees he is handling now are simple working committees which no one likes to head.

“Actually ganito ang sistema dyan, may (this the system, there are) committee na magaganda (that are attractive), at may committee na working committee lang, pinag-aagawan lamang dyan ang komite na magaganda (and there are working committees, those that are up for grabs are the good ones),” he said.

But later in the interview, Trillanes said he doesn’t mind if the majority will strip him of his committees as they have the power to do so.

“I don’t mind, trabaho naman iyon (that’s work). It is really up to them,” he said

On the SET seat, Trillanes said he will consult Senator Manny Villar if the minority, to which he now belongs, is entitled to a seat in the tribunal.

“The seat in SET is for the majority, but now, since I am with the minority, I would like to consult Senator Villar about our entitlements since we at the Nacionalista Party comprise the biggest bloc in the Senate,” he said.

Earlier, Enrile said the SET seat is for the majority, and that Trillanes should give it up.

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