Opposition senators condemn revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty

Opposition senators on Tuesday condemned President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to revoke the amnesty of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, saying it is a clear persecution against one of the administration’s toughest critics.

Senator Francis Pangilinan said Proclamation 75, which granted amnesty to the Trillanes in 2010, was concurred in by Congress.

“It could not be easily set aside by the whims of one man. The Constitution provides that an amnesty proclamation requires the concurrence of both Houses of Congress and therefore the said revocation requires our concurrence and is therefore not immediately executory,” he said.

“Absent our concurrence, any arrest is illegal. We urge the Armed Forces and the PNP not to enforce an illegal arrest,” Pangilinan said.

The opposition stands by Trillanes and will use all legal means to fight the administration’s illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power.

Senator Risa Hontiveros noted that the revocation is unconstitutional as it lacks concurrence from the legislature.

“While the Executive has the power to grant amnesty, it must have the concurrence of a majority of all the members of Congress. The same goes with revocation,” she said in another statement.

The revocation signals the growing crackdown on the political opposition and the President’s further slide into full authoritarian rule. Hontiveros noted.

“Together with the unjust incarceration of Senator Leila De Lima and the sham electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo hanging like a Damocles sword over her head, I fear that all these form part of President Duterte’s grand plan to wipe out the opposition and consolidate complete political power unto himself,” she said.

She further said that the administration’s move is a step back from attempts at national unity, healing and reconciliation after a nine-year presidency marred by massive electoral cheating, large-scale corruption and extrajudicial killings of progressive dissidents.

“I call on all democratic and progressive forces to close ranks in denouncing the intensifying state persecution against the opposition movement. We will not cower in fear. We will continue to resist. President Duterte can put us all in jail, but he can never jail the resistance,” she said.

Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV said the opposition will not back down amid threats from the administration.

“Ngayong matindi ang banta sa mga tumututol sa gobyerno, lalong hindi kami aatras sa pagbunyag ng katotohanan at pagtrabaho para sa ikagiginhawa ng taumbayan. Imbis na insultuhin, gipitin at takutin ng administrasyon ang mga may sariling isip at salita, harapin na lang sana ang mga problemang hinaharap ng ating mga kababayan araw-araw,” he said. —VDS, GMA News