(Eagle News) — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Wednesday, Sept. 5, took an apparent swipe at Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who included the justice secretary in what the senator said was his list of “incompetent” government officials.
“I don’t make ad hominem arguments,” Guevarra said.
He also clarified the Department of Justice was not involved in the review of the amnesty granted by then-President Benigno Aquino III to Trillanes.
“The DOJ was not involved at all..,” he said.
Apart from Guevarra, Trillanes also included Presidential Legal Adviser Salvador Panelo and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, among others, in his so-called list.
Proclamation No. 572 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte voided the amnesty granted to Trillanes, citing a certification issued by the Armed Forces of the Philippines that there was “no available” application for amnesty filed by the senator in the first place.
The proclamation also noted that there was no express admission of guilt on the part of Trillanes in connection with the Oakwood Mutiny and the Peninsula Manila siege in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
Trillanes’ camp refuted this, but Guevarra said what was needed was an admission of guilt for coup d’etat, and not for mere uprising.
He said the elements of the two were different.