MANILA — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said it will be up to the military to determine whether co-mutineers from the Magdalo group are similarly situated as Senator Antonio Trillanes IV as far as the amnesty granted to them is concerned.
“That’s the matter being reviewed by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) people – to check whether the other members of that group, the Magdalo group, might have also not complied. So I’m not preempting them, but my understanding is that their cases might be reviewed or opened,” Guevarra told newsmen.
“We cannot take away that risk that they’re found to be deficient or non-compliant with the requirements for amnesty. Then any other person who might have not complied may suffer the same situation as Senator Trillanes,” he added.
Magdalo partylist Rep. Gary Alejano and Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Nicanor Faeldon, are among those who were with Trillanes in the group.
Guevarra also welcomed the decision of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150, which handled the rebellion case against the Magdalo soldiers for the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege, to issue a warrant of arrest and hold departure order (HDO) against Trillanes as sought by DOJ prosecutors.
“By that very fact that the trial courts accepted the motions and deliberated the motions, that by itself is already a recognition by the court that it continues to have jurisdiction over the subject matter and even over the persons or the accused,” he explained.
The DOJ chief said they expect Makati RTC Branch 148, which handled the coup d’etat case against Magdalo soldiers, to rule on the prosecutors’ motion for issuance of arrest warrant and HDO against Trillanes within the week. (PNA)
