Now it’s the turn of Senator Trillanes

I was nearly done with this column when I heard certain radio commentators discussing the fate of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV whose amnesty was ordered revoked by President Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte. Trillanes was granted amnesty by former president Benigno “PNoy”Aquino III way back in 2011. This was verified in my Facebook page; hence this is now a legitimate report that the amnesty that was granted to Trillanes by Aquino has now been revoked.

President Duterte ordered the amnesty revoked because Senator Trillanes failed to comply with its minimum requirements. Not only did President Duterte revoke the amnesty, the Department of Justice and the Armed Forces of the Philippines were instructed “To pursue all criminal and administrative cases filed against Senator Trillanes for his military uprisings in the year 2003 and 2007. This was the infamous Oakwood mutiny against former president Gloria MacapagalArroyo at the Oakwood and Peninsula Hotel in Makati done by then Navy lieutenant Trillanes and his Magdalo group of soldiers.

Senator Trillanes questioned the timing of this revocation when the Senate is set to investigate allegations that a security agency owned by the family of Solicitor General Jose Calida apparently bagged 10 government contracts after his appointment as solicitor general. Granted if this is true, it is of no consequence to the revocation of the amnesty granted to Senator Trillanes.

Senator Trillanes also insisted that he did not file an amnesty with the previous administration. However Ms.Abigail Valte, the former presidential spokeswoman of theAquino administration sent a video of Trillanes filing that application. This is contrary evidence to the lies of Senator Trillanes. However what Senator Trillanes did not file was an Official Amnesty Application form according to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Amnesty supposedly because a soldier never admits his guilt for the crimes that he committed. In the next few days we will know more as to what Senator Trillanes filed or failed to file!

This was something quite unexpected for me. I thought that President Duterte would have left Senator Trillanes alone. But I guess when Trillanes failed to comply with his application for amnesty, he should have been more careful to comply with those requirements, more so that Malacañang is no longer friendly with him.