Trillanes, Gordon lock horns over ‘committee de abswelto’ tag

Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Richard Gordon engaged in a heated argument Thursday morning after the former referred to the blue ribbon panel investigating the P6.4-billion shabu shipment smuggled from China as “committee de abswelto.”

Trillanes made the comment after insinuating that the committee appeared to be "badgering" Customs fixer Mark Taguba. Gordon and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III were asking Taguba questions about the alleged payments he had made to the so-called Davao Group.

Trillanes earlier said that President Rodrigo Duterte's son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and son-in-law, Manases Carpio, are behind the said group allegedly involved in the smuggling of shipments at the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

Carpio is the husband of the President's daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

“Are you accusing the chair or Sen. Sotto of badgering the witness?” Gordon asked Trillanes, who answered back: “If you feel alluded to, then that's the problem.”

This prompted Gordon to suspend the hearing. Trillanes then said that the blue ribbon panel has turned into a “committee de abswelto.”

Gordon moved to hold Trillanes in contempt for continuing to speak even if the session had been suspended. Trillanes objected, saying the panel was not a “one-man committee.”

Gordon threatened to personally file an ethics case against Trillanes, and at one point, turned off Trillanes’ microphone. "Please do so, I welcome that,” Trillanes said, but described his colleague's behavior and ruling as “irrational.”

“The trouble with this gentleman, every time he does not like [something], he will conduct a coup, he will be forgiven, and he will conduct another coup,” Gordon said.

Trillanes lashed back, calling Gordon “pathetic," saying, at one point, the latter barricaded in Subic to “maintain” his position. Gordon was former chair of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority.

Sotto stood in the middle of the two, as he tried to break the tension.

The session was then suspended a few minutes before it resumed so the other resource persons could be accommodated.

Trillanes has earlier called for the removal of Gordon as blue ribbon committee chairman. "Now you know why [I wanted him removed as panel chair]," Trillanes told reporters when the hearing was suspended. 

Watch: Trillanes interview after heated argument with Sen. Gordon. Trillanes referred to blue ribbon panel as "committee de abswelto." pic.twitter.com/BcxDZObDdJ

— Kaecee Alvarez (@kaeceealvarez) August 31, 2017

P8 million for Davao Group

During the hearing, Taguba said he paid a total of P8 million to the Davao Group. He said he was referred to a certain “Tita Nanie,” allegedly a member of the group, by Jojo Bacud. Bacud is a friend of Taguba’s father, who was formerly with the Customs police.

According to Taguba, he paid an initial P1 million to a certain “Jack” before he went to Davao to meet with “Small" last January. Small was earlier identified by Trillanes as Davao City councilor Nilo Abellera Jr. Taguba also identified Abellera as Small during the hearing.

Taguba said he met with Abellera at a restaurant in Davao City to pay P5 million. He earlier said the P5 million was an “enrollment fee.”

“Nagpunta kami sa Davao, sinundo ako ni Jack tapos dinala kami sa isang restaurant. Nandoon si Small, nag-usap kami tapos binigay ko sa kanya yung P5 million. Tapos sabi niya sa’kin, tatawagan na lang niya 'ko ng gabi. Hinatid ako ni Jack sa Marco Polo Hotel,” Taguba said.

Taguba added that Jack called him later that night, saying Abellera had apprehensions about dealing with him.

“Sabi niya parang hihilutin na lang daw yun. Magdagdag na lang daw ako, sabi niya. Magdagdag ako ng P2 million tapos tatawagan niya [ako kung] kailan ako babalik,” Taguba said.

“Nagbigay ako sa kanila kay Jack [ng P2 million]... Ang sinasabi nila para daw kay Pulong daw yun... Ang sinasabi nilang Pulong ay si Paolo Duterte,” he added.

While he said he was sure that the payments were for Paolo, Taguba said he never met the vice mayor.

Taguba said he also made weekly payments for the group, depending on the number of containers that he needed to pass through the BOC without being alerted.

Trillanes then asked Taguba about a text message he [Taguba] received from Tita Nanie on March 17. The text message mentioned a certain “Mance.”

“Sino yung Mance?” Trillanes asked Taguba, who responded: “Yung Mance po, ito yung asawa ni Mayor Sara.”

Taguba answered in the affirmative when asked if Mans was also behind the Davao Group.

Trillanes then proceeded to invite both Paolo Duterte and Carpio, saying the blue ribbon committee should not “lawyer” for the two.

Abellera, who attended the hearing for the first time, denied being a member of the Davao Group. He said he does not know if the said group exists.

Abellera confirmed he met with Jack at a restaurant bar in Davao City.

“Isang araw, tumawag si Jack sa ’kin, kung wala naman akong ginagawa, puwede kaming mag-meet... In the middle of the conversation with Jack, doon niya ipinakilala si Mark Taguba,” he said.

Abellera said he was only at the meeting for five to 10 minutes. He said Jack asked him to introduce Taguba to Paolo Duterte. “I told Jack I could not arrange such meeting,” he said. — MDM/KG, GMA News