PHILIPPINE NEWS SERVICE — Enrile slams mutineer for making a fool of himself with half-baked coup try.
AT least three senators are cool to the resolution of Sen.Miriam Defensor-Santiago calling for the suspension or even expulsion of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV from the Upper Chamber for leading another failed coup attempt Friday.
Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile called Trillanes a fool for botching his second putsch since the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny which was also aborted.
Santiago is set to file today a resolution asking the Senate ethics committee to either suspend or expel Trillanes for leading a group of renegade Magdalo soldiers in occupying the Peninsula Hotel in Makati City and calling anew for the ouster of President Macapagal-Arroyo.
Senate President Manuel Villar, Jr. said he believed Santiago’s resolution would not prosper but the Senate ethics committee, headed by Sen. Pia Cayetano, has no recourse but to tackle it.
Enrile said he respected Santiago’s move but felt it was pointless. “But why do you have to give importance to a person who made a fool of himself? Magrerebelde ka, pagkatapos aatras ka pala eh. Hindi puwede yun, sulong-atras na parang yo-yo. Kung magrebolusyon ka talagang committed yung buhay mo, win or lose,” he said.
“Tutal nandiyan naman ang batas. Hayaan mo na siya na kasuhan. Mas mabigat yun. He will remain a senator but he will face the music. Nuong inilunsad namin yung rebolusyon nung 1986, walang atrasan yun. Babarilin namin ang aaklas,” Enrile added.
He chided Trillanes for being ill-prepared for such a grave undertaking as a coup. “Akala ko military siya eh. Medyo yata kulang ang napag- aralan sa (Philippine) Military Academy. Gagawa ka ng very serious matter na ganon, pagkatapos eh magsusurrender ka.”
“Sa karanasan ko, hindi ganon-ganon lang yun. In the first place, how can you stage a coup and you go to a hotel? Nung nandoon pa lang sa Makati building (Makati Regional Trial Court), iyun dapat ang hostage nila, kinulong lahat nila mga huwes, yung mga tao. Magmarcha-marcha ka and you were telling the government, here I am, here is my force. O, di pinaghandaan ka,” Enrile stressed.
”Ang impression ng tao, bakit pa siya pumunta dun kung di buo ang loob niya na magpakamatay kung sakali ano? Idinadamay niya yung mga kasama niya, idinamay niya yung mga taong naniwala sa kanya. Pagkatapos sasabihin niyang ayaw kong masaktan yung mga inosenteng tao. Eh, bakit ka pumunta dun kung ayaw mong madamay yung mga taong sumunod sa iyo,” he said.
Asked to comment on Trillanes’ statement that it is the Arroyo government which terrorized the nation, Enrile said: “Panay after thought iyun. Face saving na lang yun. Konsuelo de bobo, kunsuelo de kagaguhan yun. Kung mag- rerebelde ka, huwag kang aatras. Wala iyan.”
He said that if he were the police authorities he would not send APCs (armored personnel carriers) to neutralize Trillanes’ group holed up at the Peninsula hotel.
”Putulan ko ng koryente at tubig yung hotel. Palabasin ko ang mga civilian. O, di tapus yun, hayaan mo magutom sila dun,” he said.
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. also stressed that Trillanes is already under the jurisdiction of the court and there is no need for him to be suspended or expelled from the Upper Chamber.
Insofar as he is concerned, Villar believes that Santiago’s resolution was not necessary. “Wala namang pagbabago. Hindi naman siya (Trillanes) nakaka-attend. Parang hindi ko nakikita ang kalahagahan ng gagawin na (pag tackle ng resolution na) ‘iyan. Mauubos lang ang oras namin,” he pointed out.
“Ang sa akin kasi ang tao ay nasa judiciary na. Dalawa na ang naglilitis diyan, yung AFP (Armed Forces) at judiciary, bakit pa kami sasali. Kung kami mag-hear diyan, tatagal pa yan. Sa tingin ko hindi naman makakakuha ng sapat na boto,” Villar said.
Pimentel said that the offenses committed by Trillanes properly fall under the jurisdiction of the judiciary, rather than the Senate. In fact, he pointed out that Trillanes has already been slapped with new charges of rebellion by justice and law enforcement authorities and it would be up to the courts to act upon them.