By Benjamin Pulta/PNA
MANILA — Defense lawyers of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV have formally informed the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 that it will appeal its case to the Supreme Court (SC).
In a seven-page motion and notice of appeal dated Dec. 10, Trillanes’ counsel Reynaldo Robles told the Makati court that they will be taking the case directly to the high court, where a pending suit filed by Trillanes is also pending.
“Please take notice of the intention of former accused Trillanes to appeal the order and the joint order of the court finding that Proclamation No. 572 series of 2018, was legal and / or constitutional, on purely legal issues and/ or questions of law directly to the Honorable Supreme Court particularly in relation to GR 241494, which is currently pending before the Supreme Court en banc,” the motion said.
In its joint resolution, Makati RTC Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano turned down the motions for partial reconsideration filed by the government and Trillanes.
The lawmaker’s counsels had asked to declare President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 572, which invalidated his amnesty as “illegal and/or unconstitutional” after Soriano upheld the legality of the presidential directive last month.
On the other hand, prosecutors from the Department of Justice have challenged Soriano’s factual findings — that Trillanes filed an application for amnesty and admitted his guilt for the offense of coup d’etat — which contradicted the position of the government.
