Roque: Gov’t wants Trillanes jailed

AMMAN—Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Thursday said Malacañang would not recall President Duterte’s order to arrest Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV because the government wanted him jailed.

Roque said Proclamation No. 572  voiding the amnesty given to Trillanes in 2011 as a rebel military officer would stay despite his presentation of documents refuting the government’s claim that he did not apply for amnesty and admit participation in coup attempts in 2003, 2006 and 2007.

“Palace is standing by the proclamation,” Roque said in a text message to reporters, commenting on Trillanes’ presentation of documents in Manila on Tuesday and Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon’s statement that the President had the option to revoke his order.

Roque declined to comment further on Trillanes’ rebuttal.

“He’s gone to court. The government can defend its position in court,” Roque said.

In an interview with Radio Television Malacañang, Roque said Trillanes should be returned to jail because his amnesty was void from the start.

“The government [wants him in jail],” Roque said, adding that Trillanes could land in jail either because the Makati Regional Trial Court may decide to grant a Department of Justice petition for a warrant for his arrest or a court-martial that also had jurisdiction over him may decide to convict him.

Military certification

Roque said that even if Trillanes had a copy of his amnesty application, the military had certified that the official document could not be found.

“Anyone can always get a document and said this was submitted but the point is where is the official copy,” Roque said.

What is important, he said,  is Trillanes never admitted his guilt for taking part in the mutinies against the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now the Speaker of the House of Representatives and an ally of President Duterte.

Military and defense officials have clammed up on Trillanes’ case.

A source, who asked not to be identified because he had no authority to speak to reporters, said the officials had decided to leave the talking to Malacañang.

On Wednesday, Arsenio Andolong, spokesperson for the Department of National Defense, confirmed that Trillanes filed an application for amnesty on Jan. 5, 2011.

The application, however, could not be found, although the secretariat of the amnesty committee was looking for it, he said.

Roque noted that Trillanes continued to violate the terms of his amnesty because he kept calling on the military “not to follow the chain of command, which is a crime of sedition.”

“And because he did not comply with the conditions of his legal amnesty, that means he did not have an amnesty,” Roque said.

He also said Trillanes might have made a mistake when he went to the Supreme Court because his case involved questions of fact, over which Regional Trial Courts had jurisdiction.

Roque denied that the Palace was oppressing Trillanes, saying the senator was able to go to court and even continued to speak against the President.—WITH A REPORT FROM JEANNETTE  I. ANDRADE