MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense admitted that documents of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV that he filed for amnesty application might have been lost throughout the years.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier revoked the amnesty granted to Trillanes in 2011 for supposedly failing to comply with minimum requirements.
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Duterte's Proclamation 572 declared that the senator did not file an official amnesty application form, which Trillanes already contradicted.
DND Director for Internal Audit Ronald Patrick Rudin said that the department is currently in the process of getting in touch with the committee in charge of processing Trillanes' documents eight years ago.
DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong noted that Trillanes himself does not have a copy of his application form.
"That was in 2011, there have been renovations here, it might have gotten lost but somebody should have a copy... Even the camp of Sen. Trillanes does not have a copy on hand at the moment," Arsenio said in a televised press briefing.
Void ab initio pertains only to Trillanes
Defense officials clarified that the declaration that the amnesty was void ab initio or "did not exist" would not affect other members charged for coup attempts against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Rudin said that the nullification of the amnesty grant pertains only to Trillanes.
"As far as the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] is concerned, it is only particularly the case of Sen. Trillanes that will be revived," Rudin said.
'No political motives'
The DND also stressed that there was no political motive behind the revocation of Trillanes' amnesty grant.
Asked about the possible involvement of Solicitor General Jose Calida, the Defense spokesperson said they were just doing what they were told.
"We do as what we're told, we always follow chain of command and whatever we do is based on the mandate that's powered to us by the Constitution... Politics, to us, is not even considered in our action," Andolong said.
The military, meanwhile, confirmed that Calida triggered the review of the amnesty given to Trillanes.
"The Solicitor General did," Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said when asked who started the inquiry on Trillanes' amnesty grant.
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