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Roque insists Trillanes should show copy of amnesty application form


Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Sunday insisted that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV should prove that his amnesty application was valid from the start by providing a copy of the form.

In an interview aired on dzMM, Roque said that if the copy of the form of the Department of National Defense (DND) could not be found, it would be up to Trillanes to prove that there was indeed a form submitted.

"Kung hindi mahanap iyong kopya ng DND, ang dapat diyan ipakita niya iyong kopya niya kasi lahat naman iyan kapag nag-file ka, may receive copy hindi ba?" he said.

"So itigil na po ang satsat, nasaan iyong duly received application form niya. Best evidence rule, kapag nakasulat po iyan, iyong kasulatan iyong ebidensiya," he added.

His remarks come after President Rodrigo Duterte on August 31 signed Proclamation No. 572 which revoked the amnesty granted to Trillanes in 2011 for his involvement in unsuccessful attempts to overthrow the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The proclamation said the amnesty extended to Trillanes was void from the start because he did not comply with the "minimum requirements to qualify under the amnesty proclamation," as it also ordered the senator's arrest.

Trillanes, however, in a privilege speech presented video footage of when he sought the amnesty, news articles including that of GMA News Online, a picture of his application form, the certificate of amnesty, and decisions of court dismissing the rebellion and coup d’etat cases filed against him.

"Ang dami po niyang ipinapakita, ang dami niyang sinasabi, nasaan iyong duly received application form po niya? Kung nawawala, sabihin niyang nawawala ‘no pero hindi naman puwede iyong sabihin niya na wala siyang kopya ‘no," said Roque.

"At napakahirap namang mapaniwalaang mawawala iyan, kasi maraming mga importanteng dokumento sa ating buhay, siguro naman kung iyong isang dokumento ay magbubura ng iyong pananagutan sa tatlong capital offenses ‘no, involving coup d’etat no less, na punishable by the maximum penalty of life imprisonment," he added.

Prior to his stint as Duterte's spokesperson, Roque several years back expressed great admiration for Trillanes, but last week said they have now parted ways.

"Tama po yan. Noong mga panahon na po yon ay talagang humanga ako sa mga ginawa ni Trillanes... Pero kami po ay nagkahiwalay na ng landas," said Roque. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News

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