Palace eyes action vs other mutineers

Opposition Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV is not being singled out, Malacañang officials said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo said the amnesty granted to other personalities in 2010 would also be subjected to review.

Roque was referring to the Magdalo group of military officials, including Trillanes, that participated in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003.

The presidential spokesman debunked claims that Trillanes was subjected to political persecution after the opposition senator’s amnesty grant was ordered revoked by President Duterte through Proclamation 572.

Roque denied that Duterte wanted his critics silenced.

“The President believes in free speech. The President does not want to silence the opposition, there is no truth in that,” Roque said in Filipino.

Roque said Duterte was just enforcing the law in Trillanes’ case.

“I think even the individuals in the military establishment that gave the amnesty knew that they

are lacking requirements. So, it was really only a matter of time before the issue would come out,” Roque said.

For his part, Panelo likened the Trillanes case to Maria Lourdes Sereno, who was ousted as chief justice for her failure to file the required statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

Panelo said there was lack of requirement in Trillanes’ application for amnesty.

He said Trillanes will have to prove that he filed his application for amnesty, which is one of the reasons why it was revoked.

“The burden of proof shifted now,” Panelo said, adding that the senator should prove he had filed his application.

As a consequence of the revocation of amnesty, Panelo sees the impending arrest of the opposition senator.

Roque recalled the big issue then was whether Trillanes should admit to their offenses to be granted amnesty.

Unlike Trillanes, Roque said other Magdalo officers, including Milo Maestrecampo and Gerardo Gambala, admitted to the offenses before they were granted amnesty.

Incidentally, the two military officers, along with their comrade, now Office of the Civil Defense deputy administrator Nicanor Faeldon, are allied with Duterte.