MANILA, Philippines - Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV exchanged accusations and harsh words during plenary debates yesterday over the West Philippine Sea issue.
Enrile lambasted Trillanes for calling Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario a “traitor” during his meetings with Chinese officials in Beijing.
Enrile was responding to the privilege speech of Trillanes describing the Senate President as the lackey of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“You went to China, you asked the ambassador of the Philippines there for a meeting, and you said do not take notes during our conversation, and you called the Secretary of Foreign Affairs a traitor and you told me he committed treason,” Enrile said.
Enrile proceeded to reveal details of Trillanes’ supposed conversations with Ambassador to China Sonia Brady on Aug. 12.
Trillanes tried to prevent Enrile from revealing the details of his conversations with Brady, saying they were “sensitive and matters of national security.”
When Trillanes asked for point of order, Enrile shot back, “You do not teach me about parliamentary proceedings. And I am not answerable to anybody about what I say in this hall.”
Even before this, Enrile and Trillanes had bitter arguments on the floor.
“Because you cannot answer the questions I will ask,” Enrile said.
Trillanes replied: “I can answer because I am not going to be baited into the trap.”
This prompted Enrile to ask the body to admonish the former Navy lieutenant.
Walkout
As Enrile was starting to give details of Brady’s notes on her conversation with Trillanes in China, the latter walked out of the session hall.
Enrile earlier asked Trillanes repeatedly about his trips to China and why he was talking with officials there.
Enrile said Trillanes went to China at least 15 or 16 times in recent months.
Trillanes maintained he was not under obligation to report about his trips to China.
Malacañang said it was Trillanes who approached President Aquino and offered to help in back-channel talks with China over the Panatag Shoal standoff that broke out in April.
“The President said let’s keep our options open. The President was approached by Senator Trillanes that there’s a way forward,” presidential spokesmen Edwin Lacierda said.
While there were “minor successes” in the backroom talks, Lacierda stressed Del Rosario remained on top of negotiations with China.
“The purpose of the President is really to keep all options open, but that is as much as I can say,” he said.
“There has been no disagreement. The position of the government towards our approach to Panatag Shoal is the same. We have not changed our position there. We must remember the chief policy maker is the President,” Lacierda said.
Trillanes claimed he had been responsible for easing tensions with China, and accused Del Rosario of “treason” because of his allegedly aggressive tactics.
“Right now there is no more crisis involving Scarborough, but we were nearly brought to war. That was a treasonous act,” Trillanes said, repeating statements he made in radio interviews.
He said public statements made by Del Rosario accusing China of bullying the Philippines nearly led to open confrontation.
Trillanes said he had met “top Chinese officials” at least 15 times in Manila and in Beijing since May.
Lacierda said the President asked Trillanes and Del Rosario to refrain from making further comments to limit the fallout over the issue.
‘More harm than good’
In a televised interview Monday, Del Rosario said back-channel talks “were doing more harm than good,” although he did not name Trillanes.
Del Rosario emphasized yesterday the significance of “one policy” and “one team” in promoting the national interest.
“We must not be distracted by those who were out to divide our country,” he said.
“There must be one policy and one team in promoting our national interest in the West Philippine Sea,” Del Rosario added.
Even after the walkout, Enrile accused Trillanes of turning against the Philippines when he secretly negotiated with Chinese officials.
Reading from Brady’s notes, Enrile lambasted Trillanes for tending to side with China rather than preserve the country’s claims over the disputed islands.
At one point, Trillanes said no one in the Philippines was interested in Scarborough Shoal.
“Is that what we call patriotic Filipino?” Enrile remarked.
“Imagine talking to a potential enemy of this country 16 times, who initiated these discussions? Did he or did they? Did they pay for his trip in Beijing? My God! This guy is a fraud.”
Enrile revealed Trillanes had suspected the Americans were involved in the conflict between China and the Philippines,
saying the US government abandoned its support for Del Rosario for failing to work for the peaceful resolution of the conflict.
“This is a senator of the Republic, calling our Secretary a treasonous person in a foreign land. He does not even know when treason arises,” Enrile said.
Enrile also accused Trillanes of “protecting the Chinese” when the senator was asked by Aquino why the Chinese failed to make good on a deal that there should be simultaneous withdrawal of forces from the disputed seas.
Enrile said Trillanes “quietly, secretly, clandestinely” met with the Chinese about the West Philippine Sea.
“Trillanes wanted everything happening about the Spratlys to be made secret so that it will protect the interest of the Chinese,” he said.
Enrile said Trillanes sowed confusion in the national government by “foisting falsehood,” revealing a closed door Cabinet meeting over the issue.
During the meeting, Trillanes mentioned the possible invasion of Luzon, which Enrile branded as another fabrication by the former Navy officer.
“I was there (during the meeting). This is a total falsehood… everyone was made to believe… this gentleman is foisting falsehood. I was there, (President) Aquino was in front of me, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs who was being pilloried by this novato of a person on foreign affairs, accusing him of not knowing his job,” Enrile said.
Enrile said it was him who supported Del Rosario to tap allies to deal with the China issue.
According to Enrile, Trillanes even recommended that incoming Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II should be asked to deal with the issue.
Trillanes delivered a privilege speech three days after Enrile described the former Navy officer as a coward for not showing up in last Monday’s debates on the bill creating a new province out of Camarines Sur, which passage is being fast-tracked in the chamber.
Trillanes said he has lost his confidence in Enrile’s leadership which is why he opted to join the minority.
Trillanes said he stood up to Enrile because he was “uncomfortable being shoved about every now and then.”
Trillanes revealed pressures caused by the moves to pass the Camarines Sur bill, specifically a meeting called on Jan. 24 when senators discussed in a caucus how to deal with the measure.
Trillanes said he left the caucus “feeling tramped upon by a bully determined to get his way.”
The former Navy officer accused Enrile of being a lackey of former President Arroyo. The former president’s spokesperson, Ma. Elena Horn said Arroyo never called Enrile.
Resuming after a brief break, Senate president pro-tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III manifested support for Enrile’s leadership before the Senate proceeded with the interpellation of Trillanes on the bill creating a new province out of Camarines Sur.
“I can very well understand the purpose of this privilege speech. Today, somebody in this chamber was in the headlines for meddling in foreign affairs, and probably this is one way to camouflage it,” Enrile said.
Enrile said it was the first time for him as a senator to be accused of “railroading, pressuring people in the Senate.” – Aurea Calica, Jess Diaz, Pia Lee-Brago
