Press Release
December 3, 2007

KIKO: SENATE SHOULD LOOK INTO BOTH TRILLANES'
AND GOV'T CULPABILITY IN MAKATI PEN INCIDENT

"Have Trillanes face the music; Malacanang and the PNP must
answer for illegal arrest and illegal curfew!"

Senate Majority Leader and Independent senator Kiko Pangilinan today pressed Senate to hold Senator Antonio Trillanes accountable for the Manila Peninsula siege last Thursday.

"Senator Trillanes himself said when he surrendered that he was willing to face the consequences of his acts. The Senate should take his word for it and have him face the music," Kiko said.

Navy lieutenant turned senator Antonio Trillanes IV led a group of rebel soldiers and took over the Manila Peninsula Hotel in a six-hour siege to demand the resignation of President Arroyo. Trillanes and his group decided to end the standoff after government troops threw teargas at the hotel lobby and an armored personnel carrier rammed the entrance.

"While I may share some of his grievances against the Arroyo administration, I disagree with the methods he employed. Sen. Trillanes should be held accountable for his acts in the Manila Pen siege just as the Arroyo administration should be held accountable for its acts in the illegal arrest of the media in the standoff, the imposition of the illegal curfew, the ZTE NBN deal, the cash gifts payola scandal and other alleged irregularities and unconstitutional acts. Whether opposition or administration or independent , no one is above the law," Kiko added.

"If we in the Senate are adamant and resolute in our beliefs that the Arroyo administration should be made to account for its illegal acts, so should we be firm in making other public officials account for their acts regardless of political affiliations; this includes Senator Trillanes." Kiko ended.

News Latest News Feed