By Meanne Corvera
Eagle News Service
There is no warrant for the arrest of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for coup d’etat just yet.
This was after the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 set for hearing on Oct. 5, at 9 a.m., the Department of Justice’s urgent ex-parte omnibus motion seeking for the same and a hold departure order against the senator for his alleged participation in the Peninsula Manila incident in 2007 instead.
Earlier, Branch 150 of the Makati RTC, where Trillanes had been charged with rebellion this time in connection with the Oakwood mutiny in 2003, granted a similar motion filed by the DOJ but the senator managed to post bail for his temporary liberty.
Both DOJ motions were filed after President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation No. 572, which declared void ab initio the amnesty granted to Trillanes for his alleged participation in both incidents, citing his alleged failure to file an official application form for the amnesty, and his alleged failure to make an express admission of guilt for the crimes committed.
In his three-page order, Branch 150 Judge Andres Soriano said the scheduled hearing was to allow for the reception of evidence on “whether or not Trillanes filed the requisite application for amnesty under Proclamation No. 75 before he was granted amnesty in 2011; and whether or not there was an admission of guilt on his part at the time he applied for and was granted amnesty.”
Soriano made clear this was “without necessarily reopening the case and/or giving due course to the prosecution’s..motion” and only “pursuant to the leeway extended” by the Supreme Court which “giv(es) this court leeway to resolve factual issues cited therein and to exercise its..concurrent jurisdiction to hear and resolve the pleadings filed by the parties regarding the legality of Proclamation No. 572 series of 2018.”
“Wherefore, premises considered, the resolution of the very urgent ex-parte omnibus motion for the issuance of hold departure order and alias warrant of arrest against (Trillanes ) is deferred,” Soriano said.
In an interview with reporters, Trillanes welcomed Soriano’s decision, saying the judge “stood up for what is right” despite “the pressures.”
“It’s a big relief not only for me, but more importantly, for the whole justice system, democractic institution..,” Trillanes said.
According to the senator, who has been holed up in the Senate since news of the proclamation broke out early September, he would return home on Saturday, Sept. 29.
“Kumbaga, tumitibok pa ng kaunti ang ating demokrasya..Hanggang kailan titibok ay kailangan nating magmatyagat subaybayan sa mga darating na panahon,” he said.