MANILA – The Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 on Friday deferred to issue an alias warrant of arrest and hold departure order (HDO) against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in connection with his coup d’etat charges.
In an order, Judge Andres Soriano of RTC Branch 148 directed both parties – the Trillanes’ camp and Department of Justice (DOJ) – to submit evidence. The court has set the hearing on October 5.
In 2011, the trial court dismissed the case against Trillanes and the other Magdalo soldiers by virtue of the amnesty given by former president Benigno S. Aquino III through Proclamation 75 issued in November 2010.
State prosecutors argued that with the proclamation issued by President Rodrigo Duterte, the court’s order of dismissal issued seven years ago is considered void.
In President Duterte’s Proclamation 572 issued on Aug. 31, Trillanes’ amnesty was declared void ab initio (from the beginning).
Duterte said Trillanes failed to present the necessary requirements in the application of the amnesty for the Oakwood Mutiny, the Marine stand-off and the Manila Peninsula siege.
On Sept. 25, Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda granted the motion filed by DOJ in connection with the rebellion case against Trillanes and other Magdalo soldiers over the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007.
With Alameda’s granting of the DOJ motion, Trillanes was arrested and booked for the rebellion case. He was, however, allowed to post a PHP200,000 bail.
Alameda said the Sept. 7, 2011 dismissal of the rebellion case against Trillanes can be considered void and has no legal and binding effect considering the issuance of Proclamation 572.
Based on Proclamation 572, Trillanes has no pending application for amnesty granted to all active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and supporters who joined the July 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines stand-off, and the November 2007 Manila Peninsula incident. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
