Trillanes attends committee hearing at Senate for first time

UPDATED 4:30 p.m. - For the first time since he was elected in 2007, formerly detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday attended a committee hearing at the Senate. Trillanes arrived 25 minutes early for the 3:00 p.m. Senate health and demography hearing on the three bills establishing the Philippine National Health Research System (PNHRS), one of which he authored. When he arrived, the committee was still discussing the alleged exploitative practice of Philippine hospitals that employ registered nurses as on-the-job trainees instead of hiring them as regular employees who are entitled to proper compensation. Just another day In an ambush interview, Trillanes said the Senate hearing was "generally the same" as the ones he had been conducting while he was still detained inside Camp Crame in Quezon City. "Except for the presence of the media, I believe it's generally similar. It's just another day," he said, adding he was briefed before he was allowed to attend the Senate hearing. Trillanes had been detained after joining more than 300 soldiers in seizing Oakwood Premiere Hotel (now Ascott) in Makati City on July 27, 2003. They were demanding the resignation of, among others, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom they accused of corruption. A staff of the senator told GMANews.TV that Trillanes conducted at least two hearings and two organizational meetings while he was still in detention. However, the former Navy officer admitted that he was excited to attend his very first session on Tuesday. "Of course I'm excited to attend my first session here in the Senate... so I'll just to wait for that," he said. He noted, however, that he just plans to observe the Senate operations in the following weeks. "I will be coming in as a student actually. I'll be observing. I won't pretend that I'm an expert in all these things," he said. Trillanes said he intends to conduct a committee hearing within the month. Trillanes' bill As of posting time, the Senate health committee was discussing Trillanes' Senate bill 257 which seeks to establish the PNHRS to improve the status, productivity, and the quality of life of Filipinos by producing new knowledge through research. The bill likewise seeks to oblige government institutions to allocate a particular portion of their gross annual revenue or charge additional fees for health research and development activities. Two similar measures, Senate bills 2029 and 1083, were filed by Senators Edgardo Angara and Manny Villar. Elected while in detention In the May 2007 elections, Trillanes was elected to the Senate as guest candidate for the opposition. He became the first Philippine senator to be elected while in detention. On Nov. 29, 2007, Trillanes, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Capt. Nicanor Faeldon and other Magdalo officials walked out of their trial and marched through the streets of Makati City, calling for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo. They then headed to The Peninsula Manila Hotel corner Ayala Avenue and Makati Avenue in Makati and seized its second floor. The siege ended when government troops forced their way into the hotel and arrested Trillanes and Lim. Trillanes was released on provisional liberty and is currently under the custody of the Senate. He availed of the amnesty grant under Proclamation 75 early this month. Fourth biggest spender Despite being detained, Trillanes incurred one of the biggest expenses among senators in 2008, according to a report by the Commission on Audit (COA). The COA report, which was published in the Philippine Star in February last year, showed that Trillanes received P247,404.00 for his 'local travel' while his staff incurred P878,496 and P253,810 for local and foreign travel, respectively. Trillanes at that time was detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame. Based on the "itemized list of amounts paid to and expenses incurred for each senator from January 1 to December 31, 2008," Trillanes was the fourth biggest spender among senators with P17.281 million expenses. The list was verified by lawyer Emilio Asi Jr, COA resident auditor. The others who topped the list of big spenders were:

Senator Gregorio Honasan II (P17.902 million);

Senate Pro-Tempore Jose 'Jinggoy' Estrada (P17.521 million),

Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. (P17.479 million), and

former Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan (P17.224 million). Senator Joker Arroyo was the lowest spender with only P12.646 million. In February last year, the office of Trillanes defended the local travel expenses incurred in 2008 by his staff, insisting all were above board. Reynaldo Robles, Trillanes' chief of staff, said in a radio interview that the staff used the travel expenses for consultations and outreach programs in depressed areas. Robles said the consultations helped Trillanes top the Senate in the number of bills filed, at 341. - with Amita Legapi, VVP, GMANews.TV