MANILA — The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the amnesty granted to former senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV by the government, declaring the revocation order issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte through Proclamation No. 527 as “unconstitutional.”
In its decision released on Wednesday, the Court asserted that a sitting Chief Executive lacks the authority to revoke an amnesty grant without the concurrence of Congress.
Furthermore, it emphasized the paramount importance of the Bill of Rights, affirming that neither the Government nor any of its officials, including the President, are exempt from adherence to the law.
The Court highlighted that the revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty, long after its finality and without prior notice, constituted a violation of his constitutional right to due process.
Duterte’s proclamation, aimed at reopening criminal cases against Trillanes that had been conclusively dismissed, was deemed to contravene the former lawmaker’s constitutional protections against ex post facto laws and double jeopardy, according to the Court.
Moreover, the Court found compelling evidence supporting Trillanes’ submission of his amnesty application.
“In weighing the exercise of presidential prerogatives against the safeguarding of citizens’ rights, the Constitution and the laws serve as the Court’s guiding principles,” the Supreme Court concluded.
(By el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Having no love lost between him and the feisty ex-president, former coup plotter and ex-Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV on Saturday (16 March 2024) directly castigated former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte for allegedly selling the Philippines to China during the latter’s administration.
Trillanes fired his shot after The Manila Times quoted an anonymous ranking Chinese official in its report this week that there was an “understanding” made during the Duterte administration that the Philippines “would not bring in large-scale building materials to Ayungin Shoal.”
He added that in return, China reportedly agreed to allow the Philippines to send one vessel to conduct rotation and resupply missions to Filipino soldiers stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre, the Philippine outpost in the disputed waters.
“Si duterte pala ang may secret deal with China re WPS na inamin mismo ng China. Tapos kami raw ni PNoy ang nagbenta ng Scarborough kahit si PNoy nga ang nagpabasura ng 9-dash line sa Arbitral Tribunal. Mambubudol talaga tong taong to,” Trillanes wrote in X (formerly Twitter).
He was referring to Duterte’s allegation during his administration that Trillanes “sold” Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) to China when former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III was in office.
Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs on March 12 said it was surprised by China’s disclosure of “sensitive details” in its bilateral negotiations.
“As Ayungin Shoal is a part of the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines, the proposal of China could not be considered by the Philippines without violating the Philippine Constitution or international law,” the DFA stood firm.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Hope springs eternal for former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes who said the senatorial candidates identified with the “Pinklawans” may still make it to the “Magic 12” in the upcoming senatorial race in 2025.
Ironically, in the Feb. 7 to 9 survey conducted by Magdalo headed by Trillanes, ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo emerged as the number one choice for senator with a preference rating of 62.4 percent.
Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III came second with 54.4 percent, followed by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte with 49 percent.
“The Magdalo group released the results of the senatorial survey partly because we wanted to inform the Pinks about the status of our candidates not to demoralize them, but to show them that there is a lot of work to be done. Surely, it is not a hopeless situation,” Trillanes said.
He explained that the intention was not to discourage the prospective senatorial candidates identified with the late President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and former Vice President Leni Robredo.
“On the contrary, the results showed that the odds are good that some of the Pink candidates will eventually make it to the top 12,” Trillanes said.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Describing it as “scandalous on so many levels,” former senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has urged the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into the P51 billion in unprogrammed funds allegedly allotted to Davao City first district Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte in the last two years of his father’s presidency.
“Accdg to DBM/DPWH, Pulong Duterte was awarded a whopping P51 billion from 2020-22 for his district. This is scandalous on so many levels! Anong infra project ang worth P51 billion sa isang distrito? This warrants a COA Special Audit. #DuterteScam,” Trillanes said in an X (Twitter) post Friday (January 19).
Trillanes also found an ally in his fellow Bicolano “oragon’ (smart guy) House Appropriations Committee Chairman and Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co.
Co said in a radio interview Thursday (January 18) that he’s “99 percent” sure that the son of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was granted P51 billion in unprogrammed funds.
“That is so much ‘yan P51 billion…Wala pa akong hawak na dokumento pero pinapahanap ko na po ito. Mukhang 99 percent itong P51 billion mukhang totoo po yan,” Co quipped.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Eager to try his luck on a new battlefield, former rebel soldier and ex-Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV is now training his gun on the mayoralty seat of Caloocan City in 2025, thereby challenging the Malapitan dynasty that has ruled for over a decade.
On Tuesday, Trillanes candidly admitted in a television interview that he’s keen on running for a local post instead of seeking a Senate comeback in the 2025 midterm elections.
“Right now I’m more inclined to go into local politics,” he quipped during the ANC’s “Headstart interview.
The incumbent mayor of Caloocan is Dale Gonzalo “Along” Malapitan whose father, Oscar or “Oca” held the mayoralty post from 2013 to 2022.
Former Mayor Oca Malapitan is currently the congressional representative of Caloocan’s first district.
But can Trillanes match, if not surpass, the achievements of the Malapitan political dynasty which is likened to a “good cholesterol” by their supporters?
Residents here earlier told Maharlika NuMedia that Caloocan City has tremendously developed under the leadership of the Malapitans in line with the “Aksyon at Malasakit” slogan.
They claimed that under the Malapitan administration, the once dirty and “dangerous” Monumento had been cleaned up, and no longer would anyone pass by fearing for his life and security.
Under the administration of Malapitan, they said the University of Caloocan City was established and two modern medical centers were built – the Caloocan City Medical Center (CCMC) and the Caloocan City North Medical Center.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Amid the mystery shrouding the presence of investigators from the International Criminal Court, former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has revealed that the investigation on the primary suspects are nearly complete and that the ICC is in the process of building a case against the alleged co-conspirators.
Political pundits told Maharlika NuMedia on Saturday that in case the ICC has wrapped up its investigation on the “crimes against humanity” filed primarily against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an arrest warrant can be issued anytime soon.
According to Vera Files, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio and two incumbent senators were named in documents submitted to the ICC investigating the killings related to the drug war during the previous administration and when Duterte was mayor of Davao City.
“The vice president’s name was mentioned as knowing and approving the killings when she was city mayor, a post that her father held for more than 20 years. Sara was mayor from 2010 to 2013, and from 2016 to 2022,” Vera Files said in its July 17, 2023 report.
Trillanes argued that despite ex-president Duterte’s cancellation of ICC membership, ICC still has potential jurisdiction for incidents pre-dating the withdrawal.
He claimed that the ICC has gathered the statements of the witnesses as early as February 2023 and that they will be put on record as soon as the trial begins.
“Ang aking tantsa ay finishing touches na ‘yung kaso for some of the principals. Yung iba naman, yung mga nasa secondary level ay bini-build up na o patapos na,” Trillanes revealed.
It can be recalled that then President Duterte cancelled the Philippines’ membership with the ICC following an announcement that a preliminary examination on the thousands of deaths involving the bloody war on drugs was underway.
Human rights advocates claimed that the 30,000 individuals who were victims of extra-judicial killings (EJKs) in line with Duterte’s drug war were not all drug addicts or drug pushers.
(el Amigo/MNM)
By Junex Doronio
MINCING NO WORDS, former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV has directly charged former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as the brains behind the destabilization efforts against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that will benefit Vice President Sara Duterte if a coup d’etat succeeds.
Trillanes, who was once involved in the July 23, 2003 Oakwood mutiny in Makati City against then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, noted that the destabilization efforts did not ripen to a coup plot because of the absence of a military component due to perception among some military officers that FPRRD is pro-China.
“And besides kung si Duterte, ang feedback ha ng mga junior officers atsaka mid-ranking officers ay natu-turn off sila dahil pro-China siya. So they won’t join him. Kasi otherwise, alam nila na ang ending nito is basically letting China in again, similar to what he did from 2016 to 2022,” Trillanes bared in his interview with “Facts First” podcast hosted by Christian Esguerra on Thursday, November 16.
The former Philippine Navy lieutenant who served as Magdalo military rebel group spokesperson said the Marcos Jr. administration should be “paranoid” amid reports that only the retired generals were involved in the destabilization efforts.
Trillanes recalled that the so-called “Edsa Dos” transpired due to the instigation of some retired generals like the late President Fidel V. Ramos and former Defense Secretary Renato de Villa.
Then President Joseph “Erap” Estrada was ousted president following corruption allegations when the police and military withdrew support from his administration as several top government officials resigned and thousands of people protested on Epifanio delos Santos Ave. (EDSA) in Mandaluyong City from January 17 – 20, 2001.
Then Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took over as acting president.
As a former coup plotter himself, Trillanes noted the various techniques of what he called Duterte influencers in agitating the public against the Marcos Jr administration and build up a “social volcano” that would later explode.
“Itong Duterte camp, they have mastered the propaganda games in social media whether gaslighting, outright lies, fake news, lahat lahat yan, gagamitin nila yan para ma-pursue nila ang agenda nila kaya naghahanap sila ng iba’t ibang isyu para ma-agitate (the public),” he said.
But they have the same narratives like saying “grabe na yung mga addict ngayon nagbalikan, grabe na ang drugs, grabe na ang crimes nawala lang si Duterte. By implication kaya kailangang bumalik ulit ang Duterte, di ba?”
“ Pero titingnan nyo yung mga nahuhuling drugs, ito yung mga kasangkot doon sa sindikato nila ng Davao group no? Kumbaga nabuko. Yung mga dating hindi hinuhuli, ngayon hinuhuli na, di ba? Tapos yung mga pulis na ginawa nilang part ng criminal syndicate, yun yung mga pinagtatanggal sa puwesto, di ba? Ngayon ang hindi magandang naririnig namin is pwede silang gumawa ng mga high profile crimes tapos ang by implication ang lalabas doon ano na weak yung ano, nagkaroon ng gulo, magulo na, chaotic yung administrasyon kaya kailangan ng pumasok.”
When asked of the Magdalo’s stance with regards to the present dispensation, Trillanes declared: “Kami sa aming grupo, talagang inalyze namin yung situation and we came to the conclusion na it’s in the interest of the country na matapos ng Marcos administration yung kanilang termino hanggang 2028. Dahil pagka ito ay na-cut short at mag-assume ang Sara Duterte as president, babalik tayo doon sa 2016 to 2022 nightmare na I hope na talagang wag naman na nating pagdaanan muli kasi para na tayong mga masokista noon kung ihangad pa natin yun, yung pangyayaring iyon.”
He was apparently referring to the six-year period of the government being subservient to China and the number of extra-judicial killings (EJKs) in the bloody campaign against illegal drugs which critics claimed to be a failed approach.
(AI/MnM)