Press Release
August 26, 2007

SENATORS TO DECIDE WHETHER TRILLANES WILL
BE ALLOWED TO VOTE ON LEGISLATIVE MEASURES

Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the Senate will have to resolve whether Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will be allowed to vote on bills and resolutions even if he is under military detention while coup d'etat charges against him are being heard before a court martial and the Makati Regional Trial Court.

Once this issue is settled, Pimentel said the Senate will have to formulate rules on how Trillanes can cast his vote under such peculiar circumstances.

"It is not clear under Senate rules how Trillanes can vote given the special circumstances he is in. Because of this, I intend to introduce the necessary amendment to the rules," he said.

In the absence of such amendment, the minority leader said it is doubtful whether Trillanes can be allowed to vote on a proposed resolution to constitute the Senate into a committee of the whole to investigate the "Hello Garci" scandal in the light of new evidence to be presented by retired T/Sgt. Vidal Doble, formerly of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Pimentel held the belief that Trillanes, as duly-elected senator, can cast his vote on bills and resolutions that are up for decision by the Senate, even if his petition to be allowed to take part in Senate proceedings has been turned down by Makati RTC Judge Oscar Pimentel. Trillanes, through his legal counsel, has filed a motion for reconsideration of the adverse ruling with the RTC judge.

He argued that Trillanes should be permitted to discharge his functions after he was allowed by the court to take his oath of office. The court had earlier permitted the leader of the Magdalo group of rebel soldiers to file his certificate of candidacy and to be interviewed by the media at the detention center in Fort Bonifacio, during the election campaign.

The Senate, by a majority vote of 17 senators, has approved a resolution asking the judiciary to allow Trillanes to participate in Senate proceedings in accordance with his electoral mandate.

Pimentel said that in recognition of this mandate, the Senate has given Trillanes an office and authorized him to hire members of his staff, as well as to draw their salaries and allowances.

With respect to the resolution on the probe into the Hello Garci scandal, Pimentel said it is likely to be approved by majority of the Senate despite the objection of some administration senators.

He said the smallest number of votes that will be cast in favor of the resolution is 12.

The senators will hold a caucus on the issue early Tuesday morning. After the issue is resolved at the caucus, Pimentel said resolution will be presented at the floor for approval. He said he will call for a roll call vote so that the public may know who are the senators in favor or against the reopening of the inquiry into the Hello Garci tapes.

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