Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Trillanes et al want makati judge to inhibit from case (4:43 p.m.)
MANILA -- Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and ten other members of the rebel Magdalo group sought Monday the inhibition of a Makati City judge who has been handling the four-year trial of the 2003 Oakwood mutiny.
In a 12-page motion filed two days before the resumption of the coup d’etat case of the Magdalo group, the 11 accused said Judge Oscar Pimentel of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 should voluntarily inhibit from the trial as he has already "pre-judged" the case when he uttered an unwelcome remark during the December 11 hearing of the coup charges filed against the mutineers.
Aside from Trillanes, those who joined the petition were Lieutenant Sergeant James Layug, Eugene Louie Gonzalez, Manuel Cabochan and Andy Torrato, Marine Captain Gary Alejano, Ltjg. Arturo Pascua, 2nd Lieutenant Jonnel Sanggalang, Ensign Armand Pontejos, former Navy Petty Officers 3 Julius Mesa, and Cesare Gonzalez.
The Magdalo officers also asked the suspension of the next scheduled hearing on December 20. (AH/Sunenx) |
