7 senators ask SC to allow Trillanes to attend Senate sessions

Manila Bulletin Online
August 21, 2008

Seven opposition senators petitioned the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to allow their colleague, Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, to attend Senate session even under guard.

The seven senators are Senators Aquilino Q. Pimentel Jr., Benigno Aquino III, Rodolfo G. Biazon, Panfilo M. Lacson, Loren B. Legarda, Jamby Madrigal, and Mar Roxas.

They filed a motion to intervene in Senator Trillanes’ petition in GR No. 79817.

In filing their motion, the seven opposition senators said that barring Trillanes from attending Senate sessions impairs their right to check excesses of government and the Senate majority and their capacity to block treaties prejudicial to national interest.

Senator Trillanes should be allowed to perform his duties as a senator even under guard, they said.

The senators cited four constitutional articles namely; Article II (Section 1), Article III (Section 14,(2) ), Article III (Section 1) and Article VI (Section 1) to justify their position.

They also used the doctrine of separation of powers to support their motion.

The motion to intervene was filed by young lawyer Elmar Jay Martin Dejaresco in behalf of the senators.