SEN. Trillanes Withdraws from the Majority; Trillanes and Enrile Faces Off

MANILA, Philippines - Senator Antonio Trillanes IV withdrew from the Senate majority on Wednesday after saying he has lost confidence in Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Sen. Trillanes accused Enrile of railroading the passage of the bill creating the new province of Nueva Camarines, due to his alleged indebtedness to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

"It was about the local bill on the division of the province of Camarines Sur. Without elaborating on the details of what happened in that caucus, suffice to say that I was shoved aside for the ‘nth’ time. Eto na naman po,’"kung gusto ko, isasagasa ko,’” Trillanes said, referring to the caucus Enrile called last July 24.

Trillanes said he learned from an article in The Philippine Star that former President Arroyo called up Enrile asked him to speed up the passage of measure.

Enrile was explaining his side to Trillanes when the exchange shifted to the younger senator’s backdoor negotiations with the Chinese government regarding the West Philippine Sea dispute.

Enrile was asking Trillanes about the meetings but the young senator refused to answer.

"This line of questioning is irrelevant. If this line of questioning continues... I refuse to yield the floor," Trillanes said.

Enrile then presented a note from Ambassador to China Sonia Brady, which detailed the conversations between her and Trillanes.

Walk out

At this point, Trillanes walked out of the session hall.

Reading Brady's notes, Enrile said Trillanes was accusing Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario of committing treasonous acts with the way he is dealing with the Scarborough Shoal dispute.

"This is a senator talking against a Cabinet member," Enrile said.

Moreover, it was revealed that Trillanes, who said he got the approval of President Benigno Aquino III, met with the Chinese at least 16 times without the knowledge of Enrile.

"Imagine talking to the potential enemy of your country 16 times... My God, this guy is a fraud," Enrile said.

The note added that Trillanes told the Chinese government that no one in the Philippines want the disputed shoal, and that the Philippine government cannot enforce coastal protection.

"Pilipino ba ‘yan? Makabayan ba ‘yan? My God, what kind of a senator is this?" Enrile said, adding that Trillanes is a trained military man who knows nothing about military strategy.

"What a senator. Nakakahiya," Enrile said.

source Philstar