Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday, September 15, formed a team of legal experts to aid his cases — two filed at Makati regional trial courts (RTC) and one petitioned before the Supreme Court — against Proclamation 572 or the revocation of the amnesty granted to him during the Aquino administration.
“While I believe that the illegal voiding of my amnesty and the cases filed before the Makati Regional Trial courts related to this are part of Duterte’s political harassment, I have talked to some of the best legal minds in the country who are willing to stand for the rule of law,” Trillanes said as reported by Inquirer.
Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, former University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Dean Pacifico Agabin, law professor Joselito Chan and Trillanes’ chief legal counsel Reynaldo Robles were among the lawyers willing to help the opposition senator in his case.
“They believe that if this illegal act would not be corrected, our country’s democracy would be in peril,” the senator said.
Trillanes said that these legal practitioners volunteered to support the senator despite the critic’s obvious rift with President Rodrigo Duterte as reported by The Philippine Star.
“I put my trust in our courts that they will correct this executive overreach and adhere to the rule of law despite Duterte’s twisting of laws just to achieve his aim of silencing his critics,” the former naval officer said.
The Supreme Court (SC) denied the former naval officer’s petition to have a temporary restraining order against Proclamation 572.
“It is appropriate that the Makati RTCs should be given leeway in exercising their concurrent jurisdiction to hear and resolve the pleadings/motions filed by the parties as regards the legality of Proclamation No. 572,” the SC statement read.
Makati court defers motion to issue an arrest warrant
On the same day, Makati RTC Branch 148 deferred the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) motion and instead gave the senator 10 days to comment.
“The instant case against accused [Trillanes, Alejano and Layug] is hereby dismissed pursuant to the grant of amnesty to them by Proclamation No. 75 dated November 24, 2010, by President Benigno Aquino III,” the court order stated as penned by Acting Presiding Judge Ma. Rita Bascos Sarabia.
Judge Andres Soriano said that it is indeed necessary to review the records since it “involves 53 volumes and the case started with another judge.
The prosecutors from the DOJ were given five days to comment after Trillanes issues his reply.
