MANILA – The Department of Justice and the Office of the Solicitor General were not yet giving up on having Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV rearrested.
They will appeal before higher courts the decision of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 to dismiss the Justice department petition for the issuance of a warrant of arrest and a hold departure order against the former mutineer.
Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra told a news conference they will elevate the decision to either the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals.
Guevarra considered a silver lining the RTC’s recognition of the power of President Rodrigo Duterte to issue Proclamation 572, which voided Trillanes’ amnesty.
“I’d like to inform everyone that this is not the end of it,” Guevarra said. “We expect that both parties may elevate this ruling of the RTC to a superior court, like CA or probably SC.”
“Nobody can claim that he or it has actually come out as the victor in these proceedings,” the Justice secretary said. “Remember that this is only one incident of a major case that is pending before the Supreme Court.”
Judge Andres Soriano junked the Justice department’s motion seeking Trillanes’ arrest for a dismissed coup d’état charge.
This ruling clashes with an earlier order by Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda directing Trillanes’ arrest for a similarly dismissed rebellion case, over the same set of facts. Trillanes was currently out on bail.
Meanwhile Solicitor General Jose Calida will directly appeal Soriano’s verdict before the Court of Appeals instead of filing a motion for reconsideration at the judge’s court.
“We will not file a motion for reconsideration. The solicitor general will directly go to the Court of Appeals, and even all the way to the Supreme Court,” Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.
“Our theory from the very start is that the President can void any amnesty granted to anyone, and this authority to revoke an amnesty was upheld by the court,” added Panelo./PN
