OPPOSITION lawmakers at the House of Representatives have filed a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to recall the “baseless” and “unlawful” proclamation that revoked the grant of amnesty to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
House Resolution 2155 was filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr., Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza and Capiz Rep. Emmanuel Billones on Wednesday, September 5.
Also listed as co-authors are Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago.
In the resolution, the lawmakers said Duterte’s order to arrest Trillanes as an effect of the revocation of his amnesty has no basis as there are no pending criminal cases against the senator arising from the Oakwood mutiny, the Marines stand-off and the Manila Peninsula incident.
They pointed out that after the grant of amnesty to Trillanes in 2010, all of the pending criminal cases filed against him with the regular courts as well as the military tribunals had been dismissed and obliterated.
“Proclamation No. 572 of President Rodrigo Duterte revoking the amnesty grant to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is not by itself a warrant of arrest because only a competent court can issue an arrest warrant on the basis of a pending criminal case,” they said.
The legislators said that “while the missing application could have been maliciously concealed or deliberately destroyed, there is a presumption of regularity and compliance with the conditions and prerequisites for the grant of amnesty to Senator Trillanes.”
The lawmakers said that Section 19 of the Article VII of the Constitution states that a presidential amnesty proclamation needs prior concurrence of the Congress, thus, the revocation of the proclamation should also have the Congress’ concurrence, the lawmakers stressed.
“It is hereby resolved that a) the members of the House of Representatives express their collective sentiment denouncing the baseless, unlawful and improvident revocation of the grant of amnesty to then LTSG Antonio Trillanes IV, now Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and urging the recall of the proclamation No. 572 unilaterally revoking the grant of amnesty to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV,” ended the solons. (Keith A. Calayag/SunStar Philippines)