Trillanes afraid to go back to jail: Palace

FILE: ARRESTED. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV (2nd from right) submits himself to police officers, led by National Capital Region Police Office chief, Director Guillermo Eleazar (3rd from right), at the Senate premises on Tuesday (Sept. 25, 2018). Trillanes proceeded to Makati Police headquarters for booking process and posting of PHP200,000 bail for a rebellion case. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

MANILA — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s ‘mortal fear’ is going back to jail after a series of criminal charges were filed against him, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

“The problem with this guy is like he pompously claims to be unafraid of the criminal charges against him and yet his body language, his rantings against the President show the opposite. He is in mortal fear of going back to jail,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace press briefing.

Trillanes went to Davao City on Tuesday to face libel charges against him despite being declared persona non grata since February 2018.

“Ang sabi niya, I’m here to face the challenge. Meaning, ibig niyang sabihin, puwede naman siyang hindi magpunta, parang iyon ang ibig niyang sabihin, parang pinakita niya, since nandito ako, nakita n’yo naman. Tinanggap ko ang hamon. Ang sagot ko naman sa kanya, wala ka namang choice. Dahil kung hindi ka pumunta roon eh baka naaresto ka na kaagad (He said I’m here to face the challenge. He means he has the option not to go there and that he accepted the challenge. My response to that is he has no choice. If he did not go there, he would have been arrested right away),” Panelo said.

Panelo, also Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said Trillanes needs to prepare his defense as the court found probable cause against him.

Trillanes is facing libel charges filed by presidential son Paolo Duterte and President Rodrigo Duterte’s son-in-law, lawyer Maneses Carpio.

The outgoing senator linked Paolo Duterte, a former vice mayor of Davao City, and Carpio to alleged drug smuggling and extortion.

Panelo clarified the cases were not filed by the Duterte administration but by Paolo Duterte and Carpio in their capacity as private individuals who found Trillanes’ accusations libelous.

Trillanes pleaded “not guilty” to four counts of libel filed against him.

Trillanes, a former Navy officer, is also facing separate sedition and coup d’ etat cases for leading botched mutinies against former President and now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.