(Eagle News) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will post bail for the libel case filed against him by former Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte on Monday, Dec. 10.
Trillanes issued the statement after Judge Melinda Alconcel-Dayanghirang of the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 54 issued a warrant for his arrest stemming from the charges filed after he linked the presidential son to the P6.4-billion shabu shipment that slipped the country recently, and accused him of extorting from ride-sharing firm Uber and other companies.
According to Trillanes, he made the decision after he was informed by his lawyers that “the service of warrants of arrests for minor cases like libel on Fridays, weekends and holidays is prohibited” based on an existing Department of Justice circular.
He added that “under Article VI, Section 11 of the Constitution, as a member of Congress, I am privileged from being arrested in cases punishable by less than six (6) years imprisonment while Congress is in session.”
“I will face this,” he said, as he called out the Duterte administration anew.
“Baliktad ang hustisya sa gobyerno ni Duterte. Ang mga mandarambong ay pinalaya na. Ang mga kritiko naman ay gagawan ng kaso para pilit na maikulong,” he added.
Trillanes is out on bail on separate rebellion charges filed against him.
He is also facing coup d’etat charges, among others.