Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday, September 4, said he is not afraid of President Rodrigo Duterte and assured that he will not escape his possible arrest following the revocation of his amnesty for his Oakwood Mutiny and the Manila Peninsula Siege case.
Trillanes said his lawyers are already looking for legal remedies to help his case.
“Hindi ko iiwasan yan. Mr. President [Duterte], hindi ako takot sa iyo,” Trillanes told reporters.
“Hindi ako magtatago definitely. My lawyers are exhausting legal remedies. Kung dadating sa punto na kailangang pumunta, mag-walk in pa ako mismo. I will not resist arrest, I will not escape. Haharapin ko ito. Lalo akong gaganahan [mag-stay]. ‘Di ako matatakot, ‘di ako aalis,” Trillanes added.
Trillanes further explained that Duterte’s move to revoke his amnesty is a clear manifestation of the president’s dictatorial leadership.
“Itong pangayayri na to, it should be clear to everyone na si Mr Duterte ay isang diktador. Hindi siya rumerespeto sa institusyon kaya ganito tayo. Kung ‘yung mga ordinaryong taon pinapatay, ‘yung mga kritiko niya ikukulong, so ganyan ang kalakaran sa Pilipinas ngayon,” Trillanes said.
On revocation of amnesty
Regarding the revocation of the amnesty, Trillanes defended himself by saying that he was able to comply with the minimum requirements of the amnesty contrary to the reason stated in Proclamation 572 issued by Lt. Col. Thea Joan Andrade.
“The grant of amnesty to former LTSG Antonio Trillanes IV under Proclamation No. 75 is declared void ab initio because he did not comply with the minimum requirements to qualify under the amnesty proclamation,” the proclamation stated.
Trillanes added that an executive order cannot revoke the amnesty acted on by the Congress in October 2010, which was signed by former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
The senator underscored that his legal team will look into the case.
President Rodrigo Duterte has revoked the amnesty of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV by declaring it “void ab initio” under Proclamation 572 dated August 31.
The proclamation was published in today’s issue of the Manila Times, September 4.
It mentioned that the senator did not file an Official Amnesty Application Form as per certification dated August 30, 2018, issued by Lt. Col. Thea Joan Andrade, stating “there is no copy of his application for amnesty in the records” and that the senator “never expressed his guilt for the crimes that were committed on the occasion of the Oakwood Mutiny and the Manila Peninsula Siege.”
With the revocation of the amnesty, Duterte ordered the Department of Justice and the Court Marshall of the Armed Forces of the Philippines “to pursue all criminal and administrative charges” against Trillanes, and “to employ all lawful means to apprehend” him to bring him back to the detention facility where he had been jailed to stand stand trial.
