DOJ not taking Trillanes case to appeals court, says Guevarra

The Department of Justice (DOJ) will not go straight to the Court of Appeals to question the ruling of Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 dismissing their motion to arrest Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for coup d’ etat.

“The DOJ will file, not later than Friday, a motion for partial reconsideration of the order of RTC-Makati Branch 148 (coup d’ etat) only insofar as it found Sen. Trillanes had sufficiently shown that he filed his certificate of amnesty and that therefore it follows that he also admitted his guilt for the offense of coup d’ etat and recanted all statements inconsistent with such admission of guilt,” Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Tuesday.

Guevarra’s statement came at the heels of the statement of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo that Solicitor General Jose Calida will take the case straight to the Court of Appeals and abandon plans of filing a motion for reconsideration.

READ: Legal battle to jail Trillanes not over yet as Calida appeals ruling at CA 

Guevarra earlier said the DOJ will decide on the next legal step on the Trillanes case.

READ: Guevarra: DOJ to decide next legal step on Trillanes case

The Justice Chief said acting Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon already discussed with Calida this afternoon the government’s next step on the case. /ee