Military now mum on Trillanes amnesty

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will no longer give comments or statements in relation to the revocation of the amnesty granted by the previous administration to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, AFP spokesperson Colonel Edgard Arevalo said on Friday, September 7.

“The AFP is mindful that Senator Trillanes IV has already filed his petition before the Supreme Court. We will defer commenting on the merits of the case in deference to the sub judice rule,” he said.

Arevalo made the statement in response to the clamor from members of the press for interviews to clarify several issues surrounding the revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty, particularly on the alleged missing amnesty application.

Proclamation 572, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on August 31, revoked the amnesty granted to Trillanes, ordered his arrest, and directed the Department of Justice and Armed Forces of the Philippines Court Martial to pursue the criminal and administrative charges against him.

The proclamation cited as reasons for the revocation the alleged failure of Trillanes to file an amnesty application and admit guilt to participation in the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003 and the Manila Peninsula Siege in November 2007.

Both uprisings, as well as the Marines Standoff in February 2006, were aimed at ousting then Pr esi d en t Gloria Macapagal Arroyo over allegations of corruption. Trillanes, however, has shown documents proving that he had filed an application and admitted guilt.

Through his counsel Reynaldo Robl es, Trillanes has challenged the constitutionality of Proclamation 572 before the Supreme Court.

A petition for certiorari, prohibition and injunction with prayer for the issuance of a temporary restraining order was filed before the High Court on Thursday, September 6.

Trillanes and 38 other officers and men under the Magdalo group were granted amnesty through Proclamation 75, which was signed by former Pr esi d en t Benigno Aquino III in 2010.

Trillanes and the rest of the dissident soldiers filed their amnesty applications on January 5, 2011.

Earlier, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said Trillanes may have filed his amnesty application but such document could not be found.

Under Proclamation 572, Lieutenant Colonel Thea Joan N. Andrade of the AFP’s J1 issued a certification that Trillanes’ amnesty application is “not available” in their of f i ce.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said that even if Trillanes has filed such an application and admitted guilt, President Rodrigo Duterte could still revoke the amnesty because Trillanes allegedly violated the terms and conditions of such amnesty.