Trillanes posts bail for libel cases

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday secured temporary liberty by posting bail on the libel charges filed against him by former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte.

Trillanes paid P96,000 in bail before Pasay Judge Rowena Nieves Tan — P24,000 for each of four counts of libel, as fixed by Judge Melinda Alconcel-Dayanghirang of Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 54.

Sen. @TrillanesSonny, nakapaglagak na ng piyansa sa Pasay City RTC Branch 118 para sa 4 na kasong libelo. | via Mao dela Cruz https://t.co/z3DZeChnPa

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) December 10, 2018

The Davao judge issued four warrants of arrest against the senator last Friday.

In the order lifting the arrest warrant against Trillanes, the Pasay judge ordered the lawmaker to coordinate with, or report to the Davao court within 30 days to follow up his arraignment schedule.

The libel cases stemmed from complaints filed by Duterte, the president’s son, over the opposition senator's allegations linking him to the smuggling of billions worth of shabu and to extortion from ride-sharing firm Uber and other firms.

Trillanes, a staunch administration critic, is also out on bail for a revived rebellion case before a Makati court.

The Makati judge that ordered the senator’s  arrest recently allowed him to travel to Europe and the United States — for speaking engagements and "various activities” — and required him to post a P200,000 travel bond.

Trillanes is scheduled to leave the country on Tuesday, December 11, for a trip to the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom. He is expected to stay in Europe until January 12, 2019, leave for the United States on January 27, and stay there until February 10.

In a December 7 order, Makati Judge Elmo Alameda stated that Trillanes has paid the P200,000-travel bond required of him before making the overseas trips.

Makati Judge Elmo Alameda, who revived a rebellion case against Sen. Trillanes, states the senator has posted the required P200,000 travel bond in connection with his trips to Europe, US @gmanews pic.twitter.com/cjpI7gPlCt

— Nicole-Anne Lagrimas (@nclagrimas) December 10, 2018

The judge also ordered the senator to file a manifestation containing a copy of his passport with Immigration stamp marks indicating his date of departure and return once he gets back to the Philippines. — Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas and Amita Legaspi/RSJ, GMA News