Gordon won’t pursue ethics case vs. De Lima: We’ll move forward

Senator Richard Gordon on Wednesday said he wants to “move forward” from his word war with Senator Leila de Lima as he is no longer keen on pursuing an ethics complaint against the latter. 

“Tapos na ‘yan. We’ll move forward ... Kakausapin ko na lang sila kasi serious ‘yun eh. Pag ethics, serious ‘yun that’s why you always have to watch out,” Gordon told reporters. 

“A senator must always be of mild temperament and must be collected and even I violated that some times,” Gordon added. 

Gordon made the statement after having a brief chat with Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV before the plenary session. 

“Senator Trillanes was gentleman enough to come to the office and he said that just so happened that we were very passionate about the cause and that he was going to stop the word war already,” he said. 

“I said no problem. We’re gonna be here for a long time. Magsama tayo ng matino para masaya tayo dito,” he added. 

Trillanes refused to disclose details of his meeting with Gordon, but said that quarrels often happen when senators are on opposing sides of the issue. 

“All of us are passionate about what we’re fighting for so these things happen” Trillanes said in a separate interview. 

Gordon earlier called Trillanes “sundalong kanin,” while Trillanes said Gordon was a biased chairman of the Senate justice committee. 

Gordon had a heated exchange with Trillanes at the justice committee  probe Monday after the former learned that witness and confessed hitman Edgar Matobato has left the Senate premises before the hearing was suspended. Trillanes has been securing the safety of Matobato.

To talk to De Lima but... 

Gordon earlier mulled the filing an ethics complaint against De Lima for supposedly concealing material information concerning a kidnapping case filed against Matobato. 

He also said then that he would include as an “unparliamentary act” De Lima’s walkout on the committee last Monday. 

“I don’t know [how] I will take Senator De Lima back. She walked out on the committee. I did not ask her to leave diba?” Gordon said. 

Asked whether he will talk to De Lima, Gordon said: “Yes, I consider her as a friend. Hindi naman siya kalaban eh. Yung debate, iba yun. Huwag lang yung namemersonal.” 

“If she wants to talk about it, we will talk about it civilly, in a calm and collected manner, the senator added. 

Gordon reiterated that the probe on drug-related killings will continue next week, but without Matobato, whom he referred to as “damaged goods.”

Matobato earlier tagged President Rodrigo Duterte in the alleged killings committed in Davao City during his term as mayor. — RSJ, GMA News