Trillanes pre-trial delayed anew

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s trial for his alleged participation in the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege was reset yesterday to Oct. 22 after the defense asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to produce documentary evidence that will be used against the accused in court.

Ernesto Francisco Jr., representing Trillanes, is requesting Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda to subpoena booking and information sheets as well as reports about the incident.

Francisco said the defense already made the same request in a motion dated May 30. Alameda granted the request and ordered the prosecution and other concerned parties to submit the documents to the court.

However, Francisco said Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago of the PNP Special Action Force (SAF) claimed that he does not have the materials he is being ordered to present.

Because of this, the defense, after an examination of the records of the case, said the court should direct its order to Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s National Capital Region - Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit (CIDG-NCR-CIDU). 

“The production of the said documents and records is also warranted in order to prevent surprise, suppression or alteration of the same,” Francisco said.

Francisco, after a hearing yesterday morning, said Alameda also cancelled the pre-trial hearing originally scheduled on Aug. 13 because the prosecution filed a motion to include three civilians in the list of respondents. – Michael Punongbayan