Trillanes spends the night at the Senate

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV spent the night in his office in the Senate after President Duterte voided the amnesty granted to him in 2011 and ordered his arrest.

Trillanes briefly faced members of the media Tuesday night while his camp met about their next course of action on the revocation of the amnesty granted to him in 2011.

Asked by reporters how he was amid the day’s ruckus, Trillanes said, “Okay naman. In fighting form, ‘di ba (I’m okay. Still in fighting form).”

The opposition senator said he will stay in Senate until the issue is resolved, whether in his favor or not.

Trillanes was earlier allowed by the Senate leadership to remain in Senate custody while his lawyers sort out possible legal remedies to counter President Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572, which nullified his amnesty for his supposed failure to comply with its minimum requirements.

Senate President Vicente Sotto said Trillanes cannot be arrested within the upper chamber’s premises.

Trillanes’ legal counsel Reynaldo Robles, in an earlier interview, said their camp plans to file a lawsuit on Wednesday regarding the issuance of the proclamation.

The specific complaint, Robles however said, is still being studied as well as to which court they would have it filed. The lawyer explained that the case may be a “multiple jurisdiction” of the Makati Regional Trial Court, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

Robles echoed Trillanes in disputing the Department of Justice’s pronouncement that the former mutineer’s charges were not dismissed, but only suspended. He read out the original copies of the September 2011 rulings of the Makati RTC courts dismissing the rebellion and coup de ‘etat cases against Trillanes.

“Almost a decade has passed since the dismissal, how could there be a pending case [against Trillanes]? How can you issue a warrant [of arrest] in a case which has been dismissed almost 10 years ago?” he said.

Robles said the administration’s effort to revive the charges against Trillanes was “wishful thinking,” saying the revocation of amnesty and the arrest order has no legal basis.

A court martial from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Robles noted, also cannot take in their custody his client for supposed conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman because he was deemed resigned from military service since filing his candidacy for the 2007 elections.

The lawyer also said the statement of Trillanes cited in Proclamation No. 572 cannot be considered as refusal to admit guilt when the senator already took his oath on the general admission of guilt for his offenses before the Department of National Defense in 2011.

AFP Judge Advocate General Colonel Serme Ayuyao was seen going out of Trillanes’ office but refused to comment. Trillanes also declined to tell reporters what they had discussed in their closed-door meeting.

In spending his first night at the Senate following Duterte’s order, Trillanes said the chief executive showed his “dictatorial tendencies” by issuing the proclamation.

“This is an act which manifested the dictatorial tendencies of Mr. Duterte. In just one presidential proclamation, he executed his executive, legislative and judicial powers,” Trillanes said.

“But we will see if Philippine democracy is strong enough against these moves of Mr. Duterte,” he followed.

Trillanes was accompanied by his wife and Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, who, like him, was granted also amnesty over the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. Some of his supporters also visited him in his office.

SOURCE: MANILA BULLETIN

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