The Department of Justice sought the help of Makati Regional Trial Court to issue a travel ban and warrant of arrest to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV after President Rodrigo Duterte voided the amnesty granted to him by the previous administration.
State prosecutors filed a motion before the Makati Regional Trial Court branch 148 after Duterte nullified his amnesty by declaring it “void ab initio” under Proclamation 572.
Contrary to Trillanes’ earlier claim that all charges against him were dropped when he was granted the amnesty, the DOJ wrote in its motion that the senator’s case is still unresolved.
“It is clear that this instant case is still pending with this Honorable Court and has yet to be terminated through a promulgation of judgment which was merely suspended last Dec. 16, 2010,” the motion reads.
The DOJ also sought the court to issue a hold departure order against Trillanes saying that “he has the means and resources to flee to another country in order to escape criminal jurisdiction.”
Duterte claimed that Trillanes did not file the Official Amnesty Application Form because there is no copy of it in the records, and that the lawmaker never expressed his guilt for the coup he pulled on the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege.
Trillanes defended himself saying that the revocation of his amnesty as a “big nonsense”.
He also said that said his lawyers are already looking for legal remedies to help his case, and that Duterte’s move to nullify his amnesty is a clear manifestation of the president’s dictatorial leadership.
