Fresh from a trip to Europe, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Friday vowed to face a new set of criminal charges against him, saying his return on Wednesday showed his readiness to meet all “harassment cases” squarely.
“I just arrived from my trip last Wednesday despite all threats against me, precisely, to show these people that I am not afraid of them,” the senator said in a statement.
Answer in 10 days
In an order dated Dec. 28, 2018, but was made public only on Friday, Judge Joeven Dellosa of the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 47 directed the senator to file in 10 days a counteraffidavit for a grave threat case filed against him.
The court set the arraignment and preliminary conference of the case on Feb. 15.
Probable cause
The Pasay prosecutor’s office found probable cause to charge Trillanes with grave threats on the strength of a complaint filed by Labor Undersecretary Jacinto Paras, who accused him of threatening to have him killed when they met at the Senate on May 29.
In his complaint, Paras said Trillanes told him in Filipino: “You’ve got the nerve. Your boss won’t last, he will be gone, too. I will finish you off, you mercenary. I will finish you off.”
Trillanes denied making the threat.
In the indictment signed by Assistant City Prosecutor Janette Herras-Baggas on Nov. 29, 2018, it said the alleged statements of Trillanes left “fear and anxiety” on Paras’ mind.
After being granted leave by the courts, Trillanes left for the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom on Dec. 11.
Paolo’s suit
He posted bail before his trip for a libel case filed by Mr. Duterte’s son, Paolo.
Trillanes is again scheduled to leave for the United States from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10 to perform “official duties” in California, Washington DC and Maryland.
Trillanes is out on a P200,000 bail.