MANILA, Philippines — Can the coup d’etat case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV still be reopened?
Makati Presiding Judge Andres Soriano, in a report by GMA News, said that this is one of the issues that his sala would tackle. In a report by GMA news, Soriano told reporters: “The issue is whether that (coup d'etat case) can still be opened or not, one of the issues that have to be resolved by the court.”
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Soriano said the case against Trillanes was junked by his predecessor—Acting Presiding Judge Ma. Rita Bascos Sarabia—due to the senator’s application for amnesty. The senator also stressed this.
But the Makati judge said that he needed to take into consideration the “developments” on the case to see if it can be reopened.
President Rodrigo Duterte, through Proclamation No. 572, declared the amnesty granted to Trillanes as void from the beginning. He claimed that the senator failed to comply with the requirements for an amnesty, despite video footage of the senator taking an oath for his filled out application form.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra also said that the recent proclamation may be reconsidered upon the prosecutors' motion.
State prosecutors sought the Makati court for an issuance of a hold departure order and an alias warrant—that contains updated information of an accused—on the afternoon of September 4.
“It is clear that this instant case is still pending with this Honorable Court and has yet to be terminated through a promulgation of judgment which was merely suspended last Dec. 16, 2010,” the prosecutors said.
They also said that since the court has already issued commitment orders in September 2003 and Novermber 2007, the application for an alias warrant of arrest “no longer needs a hearing.”
Soriano, however, set a hearing on September 13, 9:00 a.m. for the prosecutors’ motion. The judges also gave Trillanes five days to answer the motion. — Kristine Joy Patag