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Arrest bid vs. Trillanes over coup d’etat charges nears decision


The Department of Justice's motion seeking the arrest of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for an already-dismissed case of coup d'etat once again nears decision.

After holding a hearing last week and deciding to admit most of Trillanes' evidence on Friday, Judge Andres Soriano of the Makati Regional Trial Court's Branch 148 now considers the DOJ motion submitted for resolution.

In a four-page order dated October 11, Soriano admitted all of the evidence Trillanes offered except printouts of the official Facebook page of the Department of National Defense and a "throwback picture" of his, since these were not duly authenticated and never identified by defense witnesses in court.

The rest of the evidence, which includes Trillanes' certificate of amnesty, the affidavits of four defense witnesses, and a printed photo of the senator's application for amnesty, were admitted even as the court noted the DOJ's objections.

The order comes a week after Soriano heard testimonies from both prosecution and defense witnesses during a full day's hearing, where it became apparent that while there were persons who supported Trillanes' claim that he applied for amnesty and admitted his guilt, the corresponding official records remain missing.

Soriano had set the motion for hearing instead of immediately granting or rejecting the government request for the issuance of an arrest warrant and a hold departure order against Trillanes.

Branch 148, which then had a different presiding judge, dismissed the coup d'etat case in connection with the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny in 2011, after the senator was amnestied.

Branch 150, which similarly dismissed a rebellion case against the senator over the 2007 Manila Peninsula Siege, ordered his arrest last September, effectively reviving a case junked seven years ago.

Trillanes, out on bail, has sought the setting aside of the arrest order.

The government is pursuing criminal cases against Trillanes on orders from President Rodrigo Duterte, who revoked the amnesty granted to the former Navy officer over his alleged failure to comply with the "minimum requirements" -- an application and an admission of guilt.

Trillanes denies the charges and at least four witnesses have come forward in court to support his claim. The prosecution's witnesses, on the other hand, said under oath last week that there are no records of amnesty applications under the 2010 grant of former president Benigno Aquino III. — RSJ, GMA News

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