THE grave repercussions now being faced by embattled Senator Antonio Trillanes IV because of his past actions are not part of the so-called "political persecution" against the Duterte government's critics, MalacaƱang said on Wednesday, September 26.
Since Trillanes wants the limelight, the revocation of his amnesty granted by the past administration and the arrest order issued on him were a mere "political gift" for him, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said in a television interview.
"We measure the amount of airtime and the amount of news that he gets. He gets 80 percent," the Palace official said.
"That's not persecution. He loves it because he's now in the limelight. This is not a political persecution, this is a political gift for him because we've given him the limelight," he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation 572 on August 31, declaring Trillanes's amnesty void from the very beginning because of the latter's alleged failure to file an official amnesty application and admit guilt over his involvement in the two failed mutinies against the Arroyo government.
Duterte, under the proclamation, also ordered Trillanes's arrest and the revival of criminal and administrative cases against the senator over the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege.
Trillanes earlier dismissed Duterte's move as a "clear case of political persecution."
Since the presidential proclamation was issued, Trillanes has stayed in his office at the Senate to evade arrest and frequently hold media briefings.
But on Tuesday, September 25, The Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150, which handles the rebellion case against Trillanes over the failed uprising in 2007, issued the arrest warrant and hold departure order against the senator.
The beleaguered senator is out on bail and spends another night at the Senate.
Roque said no one can question the amnesty revocation, as well as the Makati court's ruling, since these were done through "correct process."
"I don't think anyone can complain about persecution, especially since it went through the correct process," he said.
"It was decided by the courts, and no one can dispute the integrity and independence of the courts in the Philippines," he added.
Apart from the Makati RTC Branch 150, the Makati RTC Branch 148 is also hearing Trillanes's coup d'etat case over the Oakwood mutiny. The case pending before the Makati RTC Branch 148 is non-bailable.
Roque maintained that Duterte would respect the court on its possible decision on Trillanes's coup d'etat case.
"The President has said that we would defer to the decision of the RTC and we would have to accept the decision of the RTC, subject of course to any remedies under existing rules of court because there could be a further appeal on the issue of whether or not the amnesty was validly revoked," he said.
"He wants to implement the law. And if as a consequence of it, he will be detained, so be it. That is the power and the duty of the President," Roque added. (SunStar Philippines)