Trillanes hints at attempt to leave Senate premises
MANILA, Philippines — In light of a Supreme Court ruling noting the president’s order for security forces to wait for a warrant of arrest, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday said he will try to venture out of the Senate premises.
While noting that the Armed Forces of the Philippines has yet to issue a categorical statement that they will not apprehend him, Trillanes in a briefing, said in Filipino: “I will try to go out later. We will see.”
“We’ll do it quietly. We’ll try to do it quietly, so we’ll see,” the senator added.
Earlier on Thursday, Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 allowed Trillanes' legal team and prosecutors to file pleadings and expound their arguments before deciding on whether the court will issue a warrant that the Department of Justice is asking for.
Trillanes’ camp has 10 days to file a supplemental comment and a rejoinder to the Department of Justice’s reply, while the DOJ would be given five days to answer the defense’s supplemental comment.
READ: No warrant as court gives Trillanes, DOJ more time for pleadings
'Arrest would be defiance of Supreme Court'
Banking on President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement last week that he will wait for a court-issued warrant—the same pronouncement noted by the Supreme Court—Trillanes said that he will try to go out of the Senate where he has been staying since Proclamation 572 was issued.
Duterte’s Proclamation 572, published on the classified ads page of the “Manila Times,” said that the amnesty granted to Trillanes is void from the beginning. An order to arrest the senator is also included in the proclamation.
Asked if what would happen if he gets arrested, Trillanes quipped that that would only mean “they are not sincere with their statement.”
It will also be an “open defiance to the SC ruling,” said the senator whom .
Trillanes also added that they would “not resist arrest,” if it happens.
“Hindi tayo manlalaban kung dumating yan, kaya we will see,” he also said, in a possible reference to the narrative purported by the police when drug suspects are killed in operations for "fighting back."
DOJ: Trillanes tends to “hole up”
Meanwhile, state prosecutors, on Thursday, filed their reply at Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148’s hearing on their motion for the issuance of an arrest against the senator.
They made the observation that Trillanes “has the propensity to ‘hole up’ in an enclosed building, establishment and/or institution, as exhibited during the Oakwood Mutiny and Manila Peninsula stand-off.”
This, the state prosecutors said, results in the disruption of business.
“In recent days, one can fairly assume that that disruptive behaviour is being employed in the Senate premises, disrupting its day-to-day operation, while evading the processes of the law,” their Reply further read.
The Senate has been holding hearings and legislative sessions despite Trillanes "holing up" at the GSIS Complex, where the chamber is located. Senate President Vicente Sotto III has said, however, that arresting officers and Trillanes supporters are banned from the premises.
LOOK: Senators do the "Dab" pose with Carlo Paalam (Bronze-Boxing), Rogen Lagon (Silver-Boxing), Cherry Regalado (Bronze-Pencak Silat) and Margielyn Didal (Gold-Skateboarding) pic.twitter.com/F85ikOtqkY
— News5 AKSYON (@News5AKSYON) September 11, 2018
Palace spokesperson Harry Roque has accused Trillanes of milking his continued stay at the Senate for "drama" and "political mileage."
Meanwhile, Trillanes has yet another legal battle on Friday, September 14. This time, the case will be at Makati RTC Branch 150 where he had been charged with rebellion over the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.
That case has also been dismissed although prosecutors argue that since the amnesty has been voided, the case should be revived. — Kristine Joy Patag
President Rodrigo Duterte has revoked amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in 2011 in relation to his involvement in mutinies against the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2003, 2006 and 2007.
Duterte claims in Proclamation 572 that Trillanes "did not comply with the minimum requirements to qualify under the Amnesty Proclamation."
President Benigno Aquino III granted the amnesty through a proclamation in 2010 that Congress concurred in.
The amnesty proclamation covered active and former police and military personnel and "[extinguished] any criminal liability for acts committed in connection, incident or related to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Peninsula Manila Hotel Incident without prejudice to the grantee’s civil liability for injuries or damages caused to private persons."
Trillanes, a lieutenant, senior grade, at the time of the Oakwood Mutiny, applied for amnesty in 2011.
The Court of Appeals reaffirms the ruling of a Makati court judge to deny the government's appeal to arrest former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over a revived coup d'etat case.
The CA rules that Judge Andres Soriano did not commit grave use of discretion, contrary to the claim of the Office of the Solicitor General.
"Therefore, it cannot be said that the grant of amnesty in favor of private respondent was validly revoked. As a result, the charges against private respondent in connection with the offenses "forgotten" or forgiven by the amnesty must be necessarily dropped," the CA says.
The continuation of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV's trial for a rebellion case has been moved to May as the Court of Appeals denies his petition for a TRO against it.
The CA denied the petition for TRO for the trial at Makati RTC Br. 150 saying doing so would mean granting the main prayer without trial.
Court of Appeals denies Sen. Trillanes’ plea for TRO vs rebellion trial at Makati court. Court says issuing a halt order would mean granting prayer for main petition, without trial. The court ordered Makati Judge 150 Alameda, DOJ to comment on the senator’s plea. | @kristinepatag pic.twitter.com/PNq6iS3lSi
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) March 19, 2019
The court has also directed Makati RTC Br. 150 Judge Elmo Alameda to comment on Trillanes' petition.
The rebellion case is over Trillanes' participation in the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege, for which amnesty was granted in 2011. President Rodrigo Duterte has voided the amnesty.
The Department of Justice has transmitted to the Office of the Solicitor General the order by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 denying its motion for reconsideration on an earlier decision not to issue an arrest warrant for Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over a coup d'etat case it dismissed in 2011.
The court has stood firm on its decision that Trillanes applied for amnesty and acknowledged guilt in mutinies against the Arroyo administration.
It also stood by the same decision that found that Proclamation 75, which voided Trillanes' amnesty, is legal and is within the president's powers to issue.
"We are transmitting the Joint Order for your office to consider the filing a petition for certiorari with the higher courts witin the time allowed by the Rules of court, " Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon, OIC prosecutor general, says in his letter.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo had initially said Solicitor General Jose Calida would go straight to the Court of Appeals and not wait for the Makati court to reconsider.
The Department of Justice will file a motion for partial consideration at Makati RTC Branch 148 by Friday, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra tells reporters.
The motion will only ask the court to reconsider "only insofar as it found that sen trillanes had sufficiently shown that he filed his certificate of amnesty, and that therefore it follows that he also admitted his guilt."
The Palace had earlier said Solicitor General Jose Calida was already preparing a petition questioning the Makati court's resolution before the Court of Appeals.
Lawyer Rhodora Peralta, Makati RTC Br148 clerk of court, confirms that Judge Andres Soriano has issued a resolution on a Department Justice plea to issue a warrant of arrest against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
She says they will not give out copies until parties of the case receive the resolution first.
Makati RTC Br148 Clerk of Court lawyer Rhodora Peralta confirms that Judge Andres Soriano has issued resolution, but a copy has yet to be given to parties. She said they won’t give out copies until parties of the case receive the resolution. | via @kristinepatag pic.twitter.com/Sh4NYmz0CO
— Philstar.com (@PhilstarNews) October 22, 2018
She refuses to give details on what the resolution says.
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