Trillanes may be charged over anti-Duterte remarks, Panelo says

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV may be charged with inciting to sedition for his verbal attacks against President Rodrigo Duterte, the chief presidential legal adviser told reporters on Wednesday.

"From what I hear on his declarations, he is effectively inciting the people to hate the President," Secretary Salvador Panelo said in Malacañang.

Asked if Trillanes could be charged over his remarks, Panelo said, "Definitely."

"Inciting to sedition is one of them. When you incite people to hate a particular public official, that's inciting to sedition without going through the requirements of sedition where there is armed uprising against the government," Panelo said.

GMA News Online is still trying to get Trillanes' reaction as of posting time.

Panelo said Trillanes abused his freedom of expression when he kept on throwing allegations at Duterte without evidence.

"If you keep on repeating the same allegations like he is a murderer, he is corrupt without presenting evidence, I don’t think you're doing it as a public service, because if it is a public service what you should do is to file a case," he said.

"Not just besmirch the reputation of a particular public official that’s beyond the mantle of freedom of expression," he added.

Panelo said that these repeated allegations could to hate Duterte.

"It will influence or persuade the people to hate a particular public official and that is one requirement in inciting to sedition not sedition itself but inciting to sedition," he said.

But, Panelo believes that Trillanes' attacks against the President will not be taken seriously by the military.

"I don't think so. I think Senator Trillanes has lost whatever influence he has on his colleagues," he said.

enator Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday vowed to expose President Rodrigo Duterte for the “plunderer and mass murderer” that he is following the supposed “illegal” arrest of Senator Leila de Lima.

“The primary objective of the illegal arrest of Sen. De Lima is to send a chilling message to the political opposition and critics that they could be next,” Trillanes said in a text message to reporters.

“Well, the effect to me is exactly the opposite. I am now motivated more than ever to expose him for being a plunderer and mass murderer that he truly is,” he said. —NB, GMA News