Trillanes in Duterte hometown for arraignment on libel case

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV arrived in Davao City — hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte — on Tuesday morning to attend the arraignment on the libel charges filed against him by one of Duterte's sons.

The arraignment was set at 8:30 a.m. at the sala of Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 54 Judge Melinda Alconcel-Dayanghirang.

The libel cases stemmed from complaints filed by former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte over Trilanes' allegations linking him to the smuggling of billions worth of shabu and extortion on ride-sharing firm Uber and other firms.

Trillanes, a vocal critic of the Duterte administration, earlier posted P96,000 in bail before Pasay Judge Rowena Nieves Tan — P24,000 for each of four counts of libel as set by Dayanghirang.

The opposition senator has earlier been declared as persona non grata by the Davao City council because of his comment that Davao City has the highest murder rate and is the number one most dangerous city in the Philippines. —Amita Legaspi/KBK, GMA News