DOJ fails anew to get Trillanes arrest warrant.

The Makati regional trial court (RTC) has deferred anew the issuance of an arrest warrant and hold departure order (HDO) against opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV due to the resolution issued by the Supreme Court (SC).

Judge Andres Soriano of Makati RTC Branch 148 said that he wants to focus first on the SC resolution, which tosses to his court the case of the senator.

Soriano said that he only received a copy of the SC resolution during the hearing yesterday morning through “personal service” of the prosecution. While reviewing the SC’s resolution, Soriano told the camp of state prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon and Trillanes’ counsel Reynaldo Robles to issue a comment on their respective motions.

Robles was told to file a rejoinder and a supplemental comment on the motion of the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed against Trillanes within 10 days, while Fadullon was given five days to file their reply.

With that, he said, the urgent motion of the DOJ for the issuance of arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes will be submitted for resolution after both parties have filed their comments and replies.

“Thereafter, the motion shall be considered submitted for resolution,” Soriano said.

After nine days of being ho-Judge Soriano’s clerk of court Maria Rhodora Malabag-Peralta said that the court tends to fast-track the proceedings on the motion filed against Trillanes due to its urgency.

Robles was present during the hearing along with state prosecutors led by Fadullon, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera and Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat.

Navera said that the court’s decision is not a setback on their part, but that they are moving forward as far as their legal remedies are concerned based on what they have planned.

Both camps are set to appear today before the Makati RTC Branch 150 to hear the same motion filed by the prosecution against Trillanes on a rebellion case.

Robles said they are likely to file the same comment to oppose the prosecution’s motion for the issuance of arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes before the Makati court.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker said President Duterte couldn’t act unilaterally in revoking the amnesty granted to Trillanes without consulting both houses of Congress.

“The Chief Executive cannot make changes to any amnesty program effected with consent of Congress without the approval of Congress,” said Rep. Salvador Belaro Jr. of party-list 1-Ang Edukasyon.

Belaro, a lawyer, said the consent of the House and Senate is needed for any changes to any amnesty grant that Congress concurred with, which both legislative chambers did with Trillanes’ batch in early 2011.

“May naging papel kasi ang Kongreso noon bago nabigyan ng amnesty si Tril lanes ,” the assistant minority leader said. He added it “would be best and in the national interest for Trillanes to have his day in court where all the legalese and points of law can be argued.”

Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza favored Duterte’s position, saying that Trillanes’ amnesty is defective.

“The amnesty given to him is defective. Only the President can grant the amnesty and not the secretary of national defense,” Atienza said.

House Minority Leader Danilo Suarez claimed that Trillanes is like a mercenary.