ONE would think that Sen. Antonio Trillanes, who claims to be a crusader against corrupt government officials, including his mistahs in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), would also be the epitome of fearlessness as a leader.
If Trillanes thinks he has stirred a hornet’s nest in exposing the nefarious activities of no less than President Duterte, then he should bravely face the consequences of his actions.
If Trillanes firmly believes that he is being politically persecuted for being a fierce critic of Duterte’s style of governance, then by all means, he should show to the Filipinos the stuff he is made of and convince the people that he is a better person than Duterte.
There is nothing more dismaying, therefore, than seeing the pretentious soldier turned senator making the Senate not only as haven for parliamentary immunity but also as physical structure for his safety and security.
Such is what is happening now to Trillanes, who has been staying in the Senate building since President Duterte issued Proclamation 572 that voided the amnesty given to him by former president Noynoy Aquino. The proclamation claimed that the amnesty granted was “void ab initio” or invalid from the beginning as the senator supposedly failed to comply with two requirements for the granting of amnesty: application for amnesty and admission of guilt.
Obviously, Trillanes’s forced confinement in the Senate building is to avoid arrest even as the military and police forces have assured that no apprehensions would be done unless there exists a warrant for his arrest.
In curtailing his own freedom, Trillanes showed utter cowardice even as he is being seen by many as a political martyr. (Jesus Sievert)