Court orders Trillanes’ arrest
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Fri, 07 Dec 2018 18:44:50 +0000
The Davao Regional Trial Court Branch 54 on Friday issued an arrest warrant against Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th in connection with the libel case filed by former Davao City vice mayor and President Rodrigo Duterte’s son Paolo Duterte.
The Davao court earlier heard the government’s plea to issue a hold- departure order against Trillanes, but set ruling on the plea on December 11, the day Trillanes is expected to fly to Europe.
The younger Duterte had accused Trillanes of slandering him and his family in a radio interview in Cebu.
In the interview cited in the complaint, the senator accused Paolo of corruption and extortion involving Uber and other companies regulated by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, the Road Board and the Department of Public Works and Highways.
Trillanes slammed the Duterte government’s brand of justice.
“Ang mga mandarambong ay pinalaya na (The plunderers have been freed),” the opposition senator said.
“Ang mga kritiko naman ay gagawan ng kaso para pilit na maikulong (Trumped up charges are filed against critics to justify their detention,” he added.
“Regardless, I will face this. I was planning to coordinate with NCRPO Chief Director Eleazar once the warrant is available, so that I could turn myself in voluntarily.”
The senator however said he would post bail on Monday.
“I was informed by my lawyers that the service of warrants of arrests for minor cases like libel on Fridays, weekends and holidays is prohibited. So, instead of turning myself in, which is apparently not possible under the circumstances, I will just post bail before the appropriate court on Monday,” he said.
In Makati City, prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DoJ) were dealt another blow when the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 accepted Trillanes’ travel bond of P200,000 as part of its order to allow the senator to travel abroad.
Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda said he did not see any reason to revert his earlier ruling, citing that Trillanes, a former mutineer, was not a “flight risk” contrary to what the DoJ claims.
State prosecutor Richard Fadullon said they filed a motion for reconsideration on Monday, asking the court to review its earlier ruling to temporarily lift Trillanes’ travel ban.
Alameda also directed the senator to file a manifestation with a copy of the pages of his passport with the corresponding stamps of the Bureau of Immigration indicating the dates of his departure and return to the country.
Trillanes, who is out on bail, said he would be traveling to Spain, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom from December 11 to January 12 next year as he was invited by various groups to attend activities there.
He added that he would also be attending events in Washington, D.C., Maryland and California from from January 27 to February 10 next year.
Alameda on September 25 ordered Trillanes’ arrest and granted the DoJ’s request to issue a travel ban against him, over Proclamation 572, which revoked his amnesty.
BERNADETTE TAMAYO AND NEIL JAYSON N. SERVALLOS
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