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Trillanes apologizes to Cayetano: It won’t happen again


Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday has extended his apology to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano following their heated exchange in a Senate hearing last week. 

In a letter sent to the office of Cayetano, Trillanes said: “This is to express my apologies for my demeanor during last Thursday’s hearing of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights.”

“It was brought about because of the intense passion and emotion of the moment. Nonetheless, it was uncalled for,” Trillanes added.

“Be assured that such incident will not happen again,” the senator said. 

Copies of the said letter were also sent to the offices of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Senator Leila de Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. 

 


Senators Trillanes and Cayetano clashed during last week’s hearing on drug-related killings. Cayetano was questioning witness Edgar Matobato on killings allegedly ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte during his term as city mayor of Davao. 

Cayetano is a close ally of President Duterte. Both Cayetano and Trillanes belong to the Nacionalista Party.

Trillanes then asked De Lima to declare Cayetano out of order for taking up the time of the committee in questioning Matobato. 

De Lima had to suspend the hearing to ease the tension between the two senators. During the break however, the senators were heard continuing their argument. 

Trillanes was heard telling Cayetano, "Hindi kita papopormahin," to which Cayetano replied, “Senador ako, binoto ako ng tao dito, di ba?" 

When the hearing resumed, De Lima explained why she had to cut Cayetano, but the latter tried to butt in. Trillanes then turned Cayetano’s microphone off. 

Senate President Pimentel said Trillanes’ behavior was uncalled for. 

“You do not take the law or the rules into your own hands na ikaw mismo ang papatay ng mic nung tao, yung microphone. Hindi po dapat ginagawa to tsaka syempre you don’t taunt, you don’t heckle your fellow senator,” Pimentel earlier said. “Magkapantay po kayo. respeto lang po.” — RSJ, GMA News

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