The legal counsel of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday expressed fears that the revocation of the amnesty granted to the senator could affect the promotion of “peace” in the country.
“Ang amnesty binibigay ng administrasyon para magsimula ulit para magkaroon ng pagkakataon ng peace, na magsimula ulit yung mga nadamay sa kaguluhan. ‘Pag eto sinasabi ng Pangulo ay pwedeng bawiin, hindi na ito papakinabangan in the future,” lawyer Reynaldo Robles told the reporters at the Senate on Wednesday.
(The amnesty was granted to give peace a chance, for the rebels to begin anew. If the president says that this can be revoked anytime, this will affect the future.)
“Kagaya ng mga rebelde sa Mindanao tsaka yung Communist Party of the Philippines at New People’s Army, ang tatanong nila sa pangulo, paano namin alam na hindi babawiin ng papalit sa iyo yan?” he added.
(The rebels in Mindanao, the members of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the New People’s Army are asking the President: how do we know that an amnesty or any proposed agreement with you wouldn’t be voided by your successor?)
Echoing former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Robles urged the Supreme Court (SC) to review the Trillanes case as the amnesty filed by previous officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) could also be affected.
“Pati yung mismong amnesty ng AFP chief, pati yung ibang members at mga general ng Armed Forces ngayon maapektuhan yun. Kailangan dinggin at pakinggan ng SC kasi this will have far reaching implications, hindi lang yun ngayon kundi sa hinaharap,” he said.
(Even the AFP chief and the generals of the Armed Forces will be affected. The Supreme Court should take this into consideration because it will have far reaching implications, not only today but in the future)
Robles also warned that this could affect other amnesties issued by former Presidents.
“Ang theory nila na hindi si presidente ang nakapirma sa amnesty certificate, e maapektuhan nito ang lahat ng amnesty na naissue dito lahat sa bayan natin. Isang pattern lang naman ang ginamit sa amnesty na in-issue nila President Cory Aquino, President Fidel Ramos, President Noynoy Aquino at President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,” he said.
(What they are saying is that it’s not the President who signed the Trillanes’ amnesty certifcate, but the amnesties granted by former Presidents Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Noynoy Aquino at Gloria Macapagal Arroyo have only one pattern.)
On Sept. 11, Duterte justified the revocation of Trillanes’ amnesty, saying that it was signed by former Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and not former President Aquino. /ee
READ: Duterte insists Trillanes amnesty not valid