MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has lifted the hold departure order issued against former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
Trillanes has been allowed to travel to the United States and Singapore to attend courses on leadership and public policy starting yesterday until Sept. 22.
In a four-page resolution issued by the CA’s Seventh Division, Associate Justice Michael Ong granted the motion for leave filed by Trillanes.
The former senator was given five days, upon his return to the country, to submit to the appeals court a copy of his Philippine passport and other travel documents.
Trillanes will be attending the Mastering Policy Impact Evaluation and Analysis Course at the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore beginning today until Aug. 31.
He will also attend a leadership course at the Kennedy School of Government in Harvard University from Sept. 11 to 16.
Trillanes said these courses are in line with his occupation as a professor at the Ateneo de Manila University School of Government and University of the Philippines College of Public Administration and Governance.
“We are convinced that Trillanes is not a flight risk, thus the lifting of his ban to travel abroad,” the CA resolution read.
“He has been traveling to other countries even if there were pending criminal complaints against him, but he had always returned and complied with the conditions set by the court,” the CA added.
The Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 has found Trillanes guilty of libel for accusing former mayor Junjun Binay Jr. of bribery.
In granting Trillanes’ request, the CA noted that the lower court did not sentence Trillanes to life in prison and only imposed a fine of P100,000.
“This is also the same amount of Trillanes’ travel cash bond which, in case of flight might be forfeited,” the appeals court said.
CA Associate Justices Marlene Gonzales-Sison and Gabriel Robeniol concurred with the ruling.