Connect with us

Headline

Several lawyers to file sedition case vs Trillanes

Published

on

(Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

FILE: Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

A group of lawyers is set to file a sedition case against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for allegedly inciting the military to kill President Rodrigo Duterte.

Led by former Negros Oriental Representative Jing Paras, the group in a press conference cited Trillanes’ privilege speech on October 3.

Paras said that they may file on Thursday next week cases of inciting to sedition and proposal to commit coup d’etat before the Office of the Ombudsman or the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The Senator, a known staunch critic of the President, alleged in the said speech that Duterte’s wealth is over P40 million.

The group was particularly pointing to the part where Trillanes said, “Kung makikita ito ng mga sundalo, M60 na machine gun gagamitin sa’yo kasi marami-rami ito. Mauubos ‘yung magasin kung P40 million ang hinahanap mo (If the soldiers see this, they will use an M60 machine gun against you since these are plenty. The magazine will be consumed if you are looking for P40 million).

The Senator actually made the remark as response to Duterte’s statement on October 2 – “I promise you now, in front of the soldiers and everybody… Sinasabi ko sa inyo (I am telling you), you can shoot me if it exceeds P40 million. Lifetime na iyang savings ko. Hindi sosobra d’yan. Sigurado ako (Those are my lifetime savings. It will not exceed. I am sure.)”

Manuelito Luna, one of the lawyers, however, said that Trillanes “crossed the line” even though it was a privilege speech.

“If you used your speech to commit a crime especially against the government, you can be charged with inciting to sedition [and] proposal to commit coup d’etat. If you attempt to cause the public to hate the President or endanger him, that’s already inciting to sedition,” Luna explained.

Trillanes’ reacted in a statement that he is welcoming these cases “no matter how absurd” they may seem.

“As part of my legal defense, I would be able to prove my claim on Duterte’s ill-gotten wealth. Specifically, I would be able to ask the court to subpoena his bank documents as an exemption to the Bank Secrecy Law,” Trillanes said.

Apart from Luna, Paras also lead lawyers Eligio Mallari and Nasser Marohomsalic.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Lifestyle43 mins ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle1 month ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle2 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver3 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

My Love Affair With Pearls

On March 18, 2023, my article, The Power of Pearls was published. In that article, I wrote about the history...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

7 Creative Ways to Propose!

Sometime in April 2022, my significant other gave me a heads up: he will be proposing to me on May...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Why Eating Healthy Matters

We are what we eat, so don’t be fast, cheap, easy, or fake — we should take these words to...