DOJ: Rody to decide on fate of 277 mutineers

With records of the amnesty given to 277 other soldiers reported to be also missing, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said it is up to President Duterte to grant executive clemency to these individuals.

During Friday’s hearing at the sala of Judge Andres Soriano of the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148, officials of the Department of National Defense (DND) admitted that their agency has no records of the applications for amnesty of 277 soldiers involved in three incidents of uprisings from 2003 to 2007 and the two coup d’etats led by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who was then a Navy lieutenant senior grade.

“For now, the focus is on Senator Trillanes’ amnesty grant. It is up to the President what he wants to do with the grant of amnesty to other individuals,” Guevarra said.

He pointed out that an executive clemency involves the exercise of discretion and that the president, as chief executive and commander-in-chief, enjoys a lot of freedom in exercising this prerogative.

President Duterte signed Proclamation Order 572 that voided the amnesty given by former president Benigno Aquino III to Trillanes.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the Makati City RTC Branches 148 and 150, which are hearing separately the coup d’etat and rebellion cases against Trillanes, to issue a warrant of arrest and hold departure order (HDO).

Branch 150 had issued a warrant of arrest and HDO against Trillanes, who paid P200,000 in bail bond to gain temporary liberty, while Branch 148 is still considering the plea. Coup d’etat case is a non-bailable offense.