MANILA – The Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 has not yet decided on whether or not Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV should be arrested for a coup d’état charge in connection with the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
The Department of Justice has asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest and a hold departure order against Trillanes after President Rodrigo Duterte declared void the amnesty granted to the latter.
“Not today,” Judge Andres Soriano told reporters Thursday. “I don’t know when it will be. The possible release of resolution is next week.”
Soriano said he has received the pleadings he required from Trillanes and the Justice department but needed more time to deliberate on them before coming up with a verdict.
A previous presiding judge of Branch 148 tried Trillanes for the coup charge and yet another judge dismissed the case after the senator was granted amnesty by then President Benigno Aquino III.
On Tuesday Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda ordered the arrest of Trillanes for a rebellion charge in connection with the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. The senator later posted a P200,000 bail bond.
The government worked to revive the cases against Trillanes after Duterte issued Proclamation No. 572 voiding the senator’s amnesty.
According to the administration, Trillanes failed to apply for amnesty and admit his guilt – two “minimum requirements” for the amnesty grant./PN
