JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Sunday, October 14, denied the claim of Representative Gary Alejano that the government is pressuring a Makati Regional Trial Court judge to rule against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
"The DOJ takes very strong exception to Rep. Alejano's allegation that Makati RTC judge Andres Soriano is being pressured by the government to rule against Senator Trillanes in the coup d etat case against the senator," Guevarra said in a statement.
"The DOJ does not interact with the judge except through the pleadings filed and arguments raised in open court," he added.
In a previous interview, Alejano said his camp has received information that the government is pressuring Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano to issue an arrest warrant against Trillanes.
Soriano has yet to rule on the DOJ's motion on the coup d' etat case against Trillanes in relation to the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.
"Rep. Alejano's allegations tend to impede the orderly administration of justice, unfairly cast aspersion on the integrity and professionalism of the Department of Justice and its state prosecutors, and contumaciously influence Judge Soriano's decision-making process," Guevarra said.
The petition against Trillanes filed by DOJ last September is pursuant to Proclamation 572 that President Rodrigo Duterte issued to declare the amnesty granted to Trillanes as void ab initio (from the beginning). (SunStar Philippines)