(Eagle News) – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV spoke at the Senate session hall Tuesday afternoon, September 3, to play previous news videos that showed him beating the deadline for application of amnesty in 2010.
He claimed that the facts he presented and video showed him making a personal appearance for his amnesty application during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III.
He also showed in the video screen Aquino’s Proclamation No. 75, “as well as concurrent resolutions made by both Houses of Congress in support of this amnesty proclamation.”
“These are the facts…. I will show this video to debunk the allegations made by Mr. Duterte,” he said.
Trillanes also said that he made his admission of his “sins to the Constitition” but not an admission of his sins against the presidency of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“Ever since naman ay hindi naman kami nagpanggap. We are man enough to admit that we have broken rules. It’s very easy for us to admit that,” he said on his role in leading the 2007 Oakwood mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege
as uprisings against the Arroyo government.
“Wala tayong regret,” he said.
Trillanes said it was clear in the video that he “swore under oath” in his application for amnesty during the Aquino administration, and that 15 days were given for oppositors to oppose.
“Pero wala. Kaya na-affirm yun. There was a committee which deliberated applications for amnesty and it was approved,” he said.
“So meron akong personal appearance.. Ang daming saksi. Hindi ko alam kung saan magmamagic ang Malacanang.”
The senator also claimed that the criminal case of coup d’etat against him was dismissed afterwards.
“Ano ngayon ang basis kung bakit ako aarestuhin? Ito ang pinakamalaking kalokohan na ginawa ni Duterte ngayong araw na ito.. pero hindi natin ito dapat payagan,” he said.
“Pero pag ganito na .. institusyon ang gininigiba, kailangan nating tindigan,” he added.
The Senate, after his speech, opted to suspend proceedings for a caucus.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press briefing in Jerusalem, said that the amnesty granted to Trillanes by the Aquino government was just “political accommodation” and that the requirements for a real admission of guilt was not present when Trillanes was granted amnesty.
President Duterte, through Proclamation No. 572 dated Aug. 31, 2018, voided the grant of amnesty to Trillanes for his alleged failure to comply with its “minimum requirements.”
(Eagle News Service)
