Second Makati court defers Trillanes’s arrest

MAKATI CITY Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148 has deferred the issuance of a Hold-Departure Order (HDO) and arrest warrant against Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV.

Judge Andres B. Soriano of Branch 148 ordered the camp of Mr. Trillanes to file a rejoinder to the prosecution’s reply to his comment on their motion for the senator’s arrest and travel ban.

The court’s move to defer the prosecution’s motion follows after a similar order earlier this week by Branch 150 of the Makati Regional Trial Court, where Trillanes is facing rebellion charges.

Branch 148 dismissed in 2011 the coup d’etat case against Mr. Trillanes, in connection with the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, following then president Benigno S.C. Aquino III’s amnesty for the senator and former mutineer.

Meanwhile, Mr. Trillanes has formed a legal team, which includes University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law Dean Pacifico A. Agabin and former solicitor-general Florin T. Hilbay.

The opposition senator said the lawyers volunteered to help him before the Supreme Court and the Makati courts.

Law professor Joselito G. Chan of the Chan Robles & Company and Mr. Trillanes’s chief counsel Reynaldo B. Robles are also part of the senator’s legal team.

“While I believe that the illegal voiding of my amnesty and the cases filed before the Makati Regional Trial courts related to this are part of Duterte’s political harassment, I have talked to some of the best legal minds in the country who are willing to stand for the rule of law,” Mr. Trillanes said in a statement.

Mr. Trillanes said on Thursday said he may attempt to leave the Senate. “There is no categorical statement from AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) that they will not arrest me. I will try later to leave the Senate. Let’s’ see... We’ll do it quietly,” he told reporters. —