Opposition condemns Trillanes amnesty revocation

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

Critics on Tuesday, September 4, slammed the move of President Rodrigo Duterte to revoke the amnesty granted to one of his staunchest critics, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

In Proclamation No. 572 signed by Duterte on August 31 but was only made known to the public on Tuesday, the grant of amnesty to Trillanes is declared “void ab initio” as he failed to comply with the “minimum requirements to qualify under the Amnesty Program.”

Reacting to this, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan described the issuance of Proclamation No. 572 as a “clear persecution” against one of his administration’s critics.

“Instead of addressing the rice crisis now engulfing the nation, this government is more concerned with silencing its critics using illegal and unlawful methods,” Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party (LP), said in a statement.

“It has no justifiable basis and done to silence Sen. Trillanes, who in the past has exposed to the public possible wrongdoings of the President,” he added.

The opposition senator, in 2010, was granted amnesty through Proclamation No. 75 by former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, after he took part in coup attempts — Oakwood mutiny in July 2003, the Marines stand-off in February 2006, and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007 — under the administration of then President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

This proclamation was concurred in by Congress and therefore it cannot be “easily set aside by the whims of one man,” according to Pangilinan.

“The Constitution provides that an amnesty proclamation requires the concurrence of both Houses of Congress and therefore the said revocation requires our concurrence and is therefore not immediately executory,” he stressed.

“We stand by Sen. Trillanes, and will use all legal means to fight this illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power,” he continued.

Senator Risa Hontiveros also condemned the latest attack of the President against his critics, calling it unconstitutional as it lacks concurrence from the legislature.

“While the Executive has the power to grant amnesty, it must have the concurrence of a majority of all the members of Congress. The same goes with revocation,” Hontiveros said.

Citing the ‘unjust’ imprisonment of Senator Leila De Lima and the electoral protest filed against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., Hontiveros expressed fear that all these incidents are part of the President’s plan to “wipe out the opposition and consolidate complete political power unto himself.”

“This signals the growing crackdown on the political opposition and the President’s further slide into full authoritarian rule,” she said.

Senator Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, meanwhile, said critics will not cower in fear amid threats from Duterte administration.

“Imbis na insultuhin, gipitin at takutin ng administrasyon ang mga may sariling isip at salita, harapin na lang sana ang mga problemang hinaharap ng ating mga kababayan araw-araw (Instead of insulting, harassing, and threatening individuals with own minds and words, the administration should just address the problems that Filipinos are facing),” Aquino said.

By issuing the proclamation that revokes Trillanes’ amnesty, Akbayan partylist spokesperson Gio Tingson said Duterte would rather send to jail lawmakers who demand truth and accountability from his administration than actually facing them.

“It is cowardly of Duterte to order for Trillanes’ arrest while he’s in a junket trip to Israel so when he comes back, he has one less critic to face,” Tiongson said.

“It is clear that Duterte wants Senator Trillanes locked up because he wants the president probed for allegations of hidden wealth, his family’s alleged involvement in the drug trade and his murderous campaign against drugs that has killed 20,000 Filipinos already,” he added.

The group then urged the public to also express outrage and demand a stop to the President’s “policy of silencing dissent.”

Aside from stating that Trillanes did not comply with the Amnesty Program’s minimum requirements, Proclamation No. 572 also said the opposition senator did not file an official amnesty application form according to a certification from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel.

It added that Trillanes “never expressed his guilt” for the crimes that were committed on the three occasions he took part in during the Arroyo regime.

The President ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to “employ all lawful means” to apprehend Trillanes “so that he can be recommitted to the detention facility where he had been incarcerated for him to stand trial for the crimes he is charged with.”

While contradicting all the claims of the President, Trillanes said he will not resist arrest nor even try to escape.