Trillanes asked to disclose info on Glorietta 2 blast

Senator Antonio Trillanes must first divulge the pieces of information in his possession before senators can decide whether an inquiry into the Glorietta 2 mall blast is necessary, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan said Wednesday. “We cannot put the cart before the horse and call for an inquiry wherein he will then disclose the information he gathered. The inquiry must not be turned into a fishing expedition," Pangilinan said. “We need the information up front to determine if it merits further inquiry," he added. Trillanes had filed Senate Resolution 174 calling the public order and illegal drugs committee to investigate the blast at Glorietta 2 in Makati City that killed 11 people on October 19. The Senate committee is chaired by Sen. Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan. The detained senator claimed he has information that would point to National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales and AFP chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon as possible authors of the Glorietta 2 blast. Hours after last week's blast, Trillanes tagged Esperon and Gonzales as possibly behind the incident, likening the situation to the so-called "Oplan Greenbase," which supposedly links government officials to the 2003 bombing incidents at the Davao airport and the Sasa Wharf. On Monday, National Police chief Avelino Razon described Trillanes's statement as "irresponsible," saying that the detained senator did not cooperate with police investigators when sought to verify his (Trillanes's) claims. “There have been serious insider information reaching this representation that both Secretary Norberto Gonzales and Gen. Hermogenes Esperon masterminded the said bombing," Trillanes said in his resolution. He cited as basis in calling for such a probe Sec. 4 Article II of the Constitution, which states that, “The prime duty of the Government is to serve and protect the people." Trillanes appealed to the panel to immediately convene and schedule a public hearing as soon as possible “because the Filipino people deserve to know the truth." “I intend to present witnesses who will point to the true masterminds of this dastardly crime," Trillanes added. Trillanes earlier called for the creation of an impartial, independent and credible body to conduct an investigation of the incident. He said he could not divulge his information to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group because his sources might be compromised. Pangilinan said senators are interested in unearthing the truth behind the bloody blast “but we cannot simply take Senator Trillanes’s word for it." “We need the information if we are to support an investigation," Pangilinan said. He said the information Trillanes has should be first revealed to the senators and in not in the Senate hearing. “I would advise Senator Trillanes to bring the information to the attention of the Senate through the committee on rules so we can act accordingly," Pangilinan, who chairs the committee, said. - GMANews.TV