A Makati City court’s decision to put off the issuance of an arrest warrant for Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for coup d’ etat was interpreted by the Department of Justice (DOJ) as a positive development for its bid to lock up the senator, one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s most vocal critics.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, in a statement, said the DOJ was satisfied that the court “took cognizance of our motion, heard the parties, admitted the evidence and issued the appropriate orders instead of refusing to act at all.”
“That is extremely significant from a legal and jurisdictional standpoint,” he added.
Corruption vs Arroyo
On Friday, Judge Andres Soriano, of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 148, deferred action on a DOJ move to have the court issue an arrest warrant and hold departure order against Trillanes for his role in coup attempts against the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Soriano instead set a hearing on Oct. 5.
Soriano’s predecessor had heard the coup d’ etat case against Trillanes after the 2009 Manila Peninsula takeover by soldiers protesting massive corruption in the then Arroyo administration.
Among the mutineers’ leaders was Trillanes, who was then a Navy lieutenant.
The President revoked the amnesty issued by then President Benigno Aquino III to Trillanes which was quickly followed by petitions by the DOJ in two Makati RTC branches — 150 and 148 — to revive the rebellion and coup d’ etat cases against the senator.