PNP-CIDG files kidnapping complaint vs. Trillanes, 3 others

Police have filed a kidnapping with serious illegal detention complaint against former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and three others before the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Aside from Trillanes, also named as respondents were Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Sabio, and a certain Sister Ling of the Convent of Cannussian Sisters.

The complaint was filed by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG). It stemmed from the complaint of one Guillermina Lalic Barrido, 43, a businesswoman from Davao City.

According to the PNP-CIDG, "[I]t is clear from the foregoing that herein respondents feloniously, maliciously and intentionally put the complainant under detention for 14 days in order to force her to do something against her will."

In 2017, Barrido claimed that Trillanes, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, tried to bribe her to testify against President Rodrigo Duterte.

Barrido claimed that she was detained from December 6 to 21 of 2016. She said she was initially detained at the Convent of Cannussian until she was transferred to Holy Spirit Convent in order to allegedly force her to sign a "ready-made" affidavit to destroy the reputation of the present administration.

The former lawmaker had already denied Barrido's accusation.

On Friday, Trillanes stressed that he does not know Barrido personally, insisting that the complaint is a form of harassment and persecution against critics of the President.

"Never ko na-meet ‘yan si Guillerma Arcillas or Barrido. Sa’n ka makakita na pari at madre daw ang kasama ko sa pagkidnap at sa kumbento pa daw siya dinetain. Bukod pa d’yan,  2016 pa raw siya kinidnap pero ngayon lang nagfile ng kaso," he said in text message.

"Ito na naman ay maliwanag na harassment case at persecution ni Duterte laban sa kanyang mga kritiko," he said. —KBK/RSJ, GMA News