Other amnesties valid unless questioned —Palace

Amnesties extended by previous administrations remain valid unless questioned before the courts, Malacañang said Thursday, as President Rodrigo Duterte drew criticism for voiding the amnesty granted to opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he had not seen and reviewed the amnesties granted by past chief executives even as he insisted that only the President has the constitutional mandate to extend amnesty.

"Now under the law even if his act is null and void unless it’s actually questioned then it is entitled to respect," Roque said at a news conference.

"Sorry na lang si Senator Trillanes, pinag-aralan siya ni SolGen [Solicitor General Jose] Calida at lumalabas na depektibo talaga iyong kaniyang amnesty. Anong resulta? Well, iyong sa kaniya lang ang maaapektuhan dahil iyon lang naman ngayon ang actual review ng regional trial court sa Makati," he added.

Roque said the validity of the amnesty will be ruled upon by two courts in Makati City in determining whether warrants of arrest should be issued for Trillanes for his rebellion and coup d'etat cases.

The Department of Justice has sought to revive the criminal cases against Trillanes after Duterte declared void the amnesty given to him in connection with his involvement in the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 and Manila Peninsula Siege in 2007.

Duterte's Proclamation 572 released last week stated that Trillanes had failed to apply for amnesty and expressed guilt for his crimes.

The President later said the Aquino administration erred in granting Trillanes an amnesty because it was then Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin instead of then President Benigno Aquino III who signed the document.

That argument was not cited in the proclamation.

The senator insisted that he had complied with all the requirements and called the nullification a case of political persecution.

Malacañang denied Trillanes’ claim. —JST, GMA News