MANILA - Senator Richard Gordon on Wednesday said he wants Senator Antonio Trillanes IV expelled from the Senate, just days after filing an ethics complaint against the former mutineer.

"I don’t think he belongs in the Senate. His behavior is really out of line," he told ANC's Headstart.

Gordon was asked in the interview if he believes Trillanes has to be expelled from their chamber.

He replied: "I think so. You don’t call people names. You don’t insult your teammates."

"There are rules. He doesn’t know his rules, that’s why he goes up to the deep end," he said.

"When that happens, what do you have? A mob. You cannot have a mob in the Senate. People are expected to act in a certain way," he added.

Gordon said the Senate has to act on the complaint and not put it on the backburner simply because it was against one of their colleagues.

"The way things are in this country, sabi ko nga sa mga kasama ko, pag pinabayaan niyo yan, pareho tayo ng pulis—hindi natin maso-solve dahil magka-baro tayo; kasama natin yan, wag nating gawin yan," he said.

"We have to (act on it quickly) if we’re going to have self-respect. If they don’t want to suspend him, I cannot force my friends to do that. I made a speech the other day before the majority, nag-meeting kami about it...I just want to state the reasons why I have to do it."

The Senate ethics committee has agreed to proceed with Gordon's complaint, with its chairman, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, warning offensive language uttered even in media was covered by strict parliamentary rules.

• READ: Ethics complaint vs Trillanes sufficient in form, substance, says Senate panel

In his complaint, Gordon accused Trilllanes of committing "continuous, unabated, unparliamentary acts, language and conduct", which "is causing damage to the Senate and to the people."

The two senators traded barbs during the Gordon-led Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the P6.4-billion drug shipment from China that slipped past the Bureau of Customs.

During the hearing, Trillanes asked why senators seemed jittery when he asked that Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, be invited to the next hearing on the P6.4-billion drug shipment from China.

Gordon asked him to clarify if he and Majority Leader Senator Vicente Sotto were being referred to, and Trillanes said: "If you feel alluded to, then that’s your problem."

"You’re so fond of making names here, making general statements. If you want to make general statements, you better prove it. This is the Senate of the Philippines; this is not a cockpit of chismis. We are here investigating real things. Wag nang magdadaldal dito ng hindi mo nalalalaman," Gordon replied.

The Blue Ribbon Committee chair then ruled Trillanes "out of order" and suspended their hearing.

Despite the suspension, Trillanes spoke on his microphone and said: "Nagiging komite de abswelto ang Blue Ribbon Committee."
This statement irked Gordon, who moved that Trillanes be cited in contempt, but the former soldier objected.

"I made an objection, your honor. You are not a one-man committee here," said Trillanes.

The heated exchange prompted Gordon, who chairs the committee, to cite Trillanes in contempt and warn of an ethics complaint.