Court OKs travel for Trillanes

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

A Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) has granted the request of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to travel abroad, dealing another blow to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has been trying to pin President Rodrigo Duterte’s most vocal critic down.

In a three-page order dated Nov. 29, Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda lifted the hold departure order he issued against the senator, allowing him to travel in the United States and Europe for speaking engagements.

The court set a P200,000 travel bond.

The Trillanes camp sought court permission to travel to the Netherlands, Spain and Britain between December this year and January next year.

US speeches

The senator also sought permission to travel to the United States between January and February next year.

Trillanes said the travels were in connection with his “official discharge of duties.”

The court cited permission given by Senate President Vicente Sotto III to Trillanes.

Alameda rejected the DOJ claim that Trillanes was a “flight risk.”

Aside from the coup and rebellion cases, sedition and libel had been filed against Trillanes in a string of cases that the senator said was simply tied to his criticisms of Mr. Duterte.

The DOJ said there was no “urgent or compelling reason” to allow Trillanes to travel.

But the court said the senator’s “travel abroad may broaden his outlook of the problems of the country” which he could use in legislative work.

Alameda said Trillanes “never attempted to leave the country” even when his and another Makati court heard the DOJ motion to issue a warrant of arrest and hold departure order against the senator.