MANILA, Philippines — The Makati court handling the government’s plea for a warrant against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over a rebellion case has ordered GMA News to provide a copy of a news article that was marked as evidence in the hearing last week.
Judge Elmo Alameda of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 ordered the executives of GMA Network News TV to produce the “duly authenticated copy”
of a GMA News report published in 2011.
The court specifically issued a “subpoena duces tecum,” a summon to a person to bring relevant documents, for GMA News to give an authenticated copy. Inparticular, the board of the news firm was directed to furnish an authenticated copy of the story titled “Trillanes avails of amnesty, admits ‘breaking rules.’”
The said article was published on Jan. 5, 2011, and was written by Mark Meruenas.
The article was in the footnotes of Proclamation 572, which voided the amnesty granted to Trillanes based on his alleged failure to file an application form and admit guilt.
The senator has disputed the basis of the proclamation.
September 14 hearing
During the hearing on September 14, state prosecutors and Reynaldo Robles, legal counsel of Trillanes, each presented pieces of evidence that might be used in supporting their arguments in court.
Acting Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon cited the news article as one of the pieces to be marked as evidence in the case.
In the said news article, Trillanes was quoted as saying: “I would like to qualify that we did not admit to the charge of ‘coup d’etat’ or anything na finile sa amin because we believe hindi iyon ang nararapat na charge sa ginawa sa amin.”
Fadullon said to the court that “the article will be authenticated.”
Robles, for his part, wanted to submit a video showing his client, Trillanes, filed an application form and that it was received by a certain Josefa Berbigal as evidence.
But Alameda pointed out that the video is not authenticated.
The judge also stressed: “The court needs the actual application form,” as it would be the primary evidence in the case.
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Robles said that they would try to secure an affidavit from Berbigal, in relation to the video of Trillanes’ filing.
Alameda signed the order on September 18.
The news company is ordered to submit a copy to the court and the Office of the Prosecutor General at the Department of Justice not later than Wednesday, September 19.
Makati RTC Branch 150 has also allowed both parties time to expound on their arguments by filing additional pleadings.
The DOJ was given five days to file their reply on Trillanes camp’s opposition to their motion on the issuance of a warrant and hold departure order. While Robles was also given five days to file their rejoinder on the DOJ’s reply.
State prosecutors also failed to secure a warrant and travel ban last Thursday, September 13. Makati RTC Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano also gave both parties time to submit pleadings.