By Moira Encina
Eagle News Service
An alias warrant against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will not be issued just yet.
This was after the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 set a hearing on the motion filed by the Department of Justice for the issuance of a warrant and a hold departure order against the senator instead.
Judge Elmo Alameda set the hearing on the motion to Sept. 14, at 9 a.m., instead.
Earlier, Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano also set the hearing on a similar motion filed by the prosecution to Sept. 13.
The DOJ’s contention is that Trillanes continues to face rebellion and coup d’etat charges in those courts over his role in the Oakwood mutiny and Peninsula Manila siege in 2003 and 2007 following the issuance of Proclamation No. 572.
The proclamation declared the amnesty granted to Trillanes for those crimes void ab initio, citing his alleged failure to file an official application form for the amnesty, and a certification from the military saying there was no available copy of the application for the same.
It also cited Trillanes’ alleged failure to make an express admission of guilt.
With the issuance of the proclamation, the DOJ said the earlier dismissal of those courts of the cases of Trillanes in connection with those incidents no longer had a “leg” to stand on, and therefore revert to their status prior to the issuance of the amnesty.
Trillanes has said, however, that these cases have already been junked.
“While the motion has been denominated as ex-parte, the court after thoroughly considering the grounds and arguments raised therein is of the view that acting on the motion without setting it for hearing would definitely prejudice the right of the accused to due process,” Alameda said.
