Gordon on Trillanes issue: Decision of the court must be respected

Administration senator Richard J. Gordon on Tuesday reiterated that the decision of the Regional Trial Court of Makati on the case of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV must be respected by the Legislature as a co-equal branch of government.

Trillanes will not be able to attend sessions and other activities at the Senate after the judge hearing the coup d’etat case against him denied yesterday his motion to leave his cell at the Marine stockade in Fort Bonifacio.

"The case of Senator Trillanes is already pending in our courts. We must allow him to undergo due process under our justice system," Gordon said.

Gordon explained that "In upholding the separation of powers and refraining from interfering in a matter properly laid in the court's jurisdiction, we do not necessarily defeat the will of the 11 million who voted for him. Instead, we afford Senator Trillanes the opportunity to have his day in court."

He also reiterated that as public officers, the members of the Senate should not give even a sliver of justification for the perception that it seeks to favor one of its own in violation of the equal protection clause.

"The law must not bend in favor of anyone, especially not for us who are in public service. The rule of law applies to all, otherwise, to none at all," he said.

"As I have said before, it is not our place to tell the court what to do. As leaders, we must set an example, and by our actions show that no one is above the rule of law." said Gordon.