(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has voided the amnesty granted by former President Benigno Aquino III to opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, “effective immediately,” saying he had not complied with the “minimum requirements” for such an amnesty.
The President, through Proclamation No. 572, was dated Aug. 31, 2018 and was signed by the President and by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.
Citing Section 19 Article 7 of the Philippine Constitution, Duterte said that “the grant of amnesty to former LTSG Antonio Trillanes IV under Proclamation No. 75 is declared “void ab initio” or void from the start because the senator did not comply with the minimum requirements to qualify under the Amnesty Proclamation.”
The presidential proclamation said that Trillanes had neither applied for amnesty and did not also express guilt for the crimes committed during the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Peninsula incident which all happened during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Trillanes was facing trial for the non-bailable offense of coup d’etat in 2010 at the time that he was given amnesty by former President Aquino.
Because of the revocation of the amnesty grant to Trillanes, he can be re-arrested and directed by the justice department to stand trial for the crimes he had been initially charged with, according to the Presidential Proclamation 572.
“As a consequence, the Department of Justice and Court Martial of the Armed Forces of the Philippines are ordered to pursue all criminal and administrative cases filed against former LTSG Antonio Trillanes in relation to the Oakwood Mutiny and the Manila Peninsula incident,” it said.
“The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police are ordered to employ all lawful means to apprehend so that he can be recommitted to the detention facility where he had been incarcerated for him to stand trial for the crimes he is charged with,” it added.
