MANILA – Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV will not be arrested for now as President Rodrigo Duterte intends to wait for the verdict of the court with regards to his controversial proclamation that voided the lawmaker’s amnesty.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a press conference on Friday afternoon that Duterte will be waiting for a possible arrest warrant from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) before going on with Trillanes’ arrest.
“Matapos ang mahabang talakayan, nagdesisyon ang Presidente to abide with the rule of law,” Roque said. “Aantayin niya ang desisyon ng hukuman ng Regional Trial Court kung sila ay mag-i-issue ng warrant of arrest.”
The Department of Justice has filed a very urgent ex-parte omnibus motion at the Makati City RTC Branch 150 for the issuance of a hold departure order and warrant of arrest against Trillanes.
Roque also defended Duterte’s controversial Proclamation 572 which, he clarified, declared void ab initio and not revoked Trillanes’ amnesty granted by former president Benigno Aquino III.
“So wala tayong ninire-revoke [na amnesty]. Ang sinasabi lang natin hindi nagkaroon ng bisa yan from the start. Kinakailangan na ibalik sa kulungan si Trillanes,” Roque said.
“Walang aplikasyon na nahanap ang gobyerno sa official file. Walang tunay na pag-aamin sa krimen nya ginawa doon sa Oakwood mutiny at saka walang pagsisi at pagtigil sa paglabag sa batas ng pagtawag na dapat ang military at hindi suportahan ang tinalaga ng taumbayan na president ‘yan po ay violation din ng kanyang amnesty,” he added.
On Aug. 31, Duterte issued Proclamation 572 which states that the amnesty extended to Trillanes was “void ab initio,” or void from the start because he did not comply with the “minimum requirements to qualify under the amnesty proclamation.”
On Saturday, Duterte said it was Solicitor General Jose Calida who discovered the faulty amnesty granted to Trillanes.
In a press conference at his arrival in Davao City from his visits to Israel and Jordan, the President said it was Calida who did the research to support his issuance of controversial Proclamation 572.
“Ang totoo niyan ang nagresearch si Calida, like ‘yung kay (Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes) Sereno,” Duterte said. “Pag sinabi ng SolGen na may mali, this has to be corrected, I cannot refuse.”
“Walang basis ang amnesty kasi it was defective and fatally flawed…Abogado ako. Hindi ko pipirmahan ‘yan (Proclamation 572) kung wala akong alam,” the President added.
Since the revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty was made public Sept. 4, the senator has not left his office with the authorities awaiting outside the Senate building for possible arrest./PN
