Ejercito smells what Trillanes is up to, shuns Benham Rise probe

He would have wanted to participate in a Senate probe on China’s reported incursions in Benham Rise but Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito had a change of heart after learning that the planned probe was initiated by Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

“Kung hindi sana si Trillanes ang nagpapatawag ng hearing on Chinese incursions in Benham Rise, interesado sana ako mag participate,” Ejercito said in a text message.

(If it were not Trillanes who called for the hearing on the Chinese incursions in Benham Rise, I would have been interested in participating.)

(Because it was Trillanes who initiated it, the hearing is expected to take on a different intention and purpose, so I am no longer interested.)“Sa dahilang si Trillanes ang nagpapapatawag, iba ang intensyon at pakay, kaya hindi na ako interesado sa hearing,” he said.

Trillanes filed last week a resolution, urging the Senate to look into the alleged agreement between Duterte and Chinese officials, allowing Chinese vessels to conduct surveillance operations in the Benham Rise, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

READ: Investigate Duterte-China deal on Benham Rise, Congress urged

But Ejercito, who earlier urged the government to file a strong diplomatic protest against China’s “bullying tactics,” expressed doubts on Trillanes’ real motive in calling for the Senate probe.

READ: PH gov’t urged to file diplomatic protest vs China’s ‘bullying tactics’

Ejercito noted his colleague’s own pronouncements that he would not stop at nothing to expose the President.

“That’s short of saying he (Trillanes) will not stop until Duterte is ousted. That alone already shows that the hearing he is calling for is biased. He has the intentions of destroying the President,” Ejercito said in a phone interview.

“I’m against Chinese incursions and bullying but Trillanes’ intention (in calling for the Senate probe) is to destroy the President,” he added.

Ejercito admitted that he is against the filing of an impeachment complaint not only against Duterte but also against Vice President Leni Robredo, saying such move was “destructive and divisive.”

“I am against the impeachment of both the President and the Vice President. This will cause political stability and (it will) be destructive for economic development,” he said.

“Impeachment processes are both destructive and divisive. Instead of pulling each other, why don’t we just work together for the better?” the senator added.