PNP-CIDG files kidnapping complaint vs. Trillanes, 3 others

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine National Police – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) has filed a case of kidnapping with serious illegal detention before the Department of Justice against former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and three other individuals.

Based on the complaint document furnished by the CIDG Friday, the case was filed on August 15, 2019 against Trillanes, Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Josue Sabio and a certain Sister Ling of the Convent of Canossian Sisters.

The CIDG said the case was based on the complaint of a certain Guillermina Lalic Barrido alias Guillermina Arcillas who claimed she was brought on December 6, 2016 from the Convent of Canossian Sisters to the Holy Spirit Convent in Quezon City where she was held until December 21, 2016 and forced to sign a “ready-made affidavit to destroy the reputation of the present administration of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.”

In April 2017, Barrido surfaced in a press conference in Davao City where she claimed she was “coached” and bribed by a group composed of Trillanes, Alejo, and Sabio – the lawyer of self-confessed Davao Death Squad (DDS) hitman Edgar Matobato – to link Duterte to the illegal drug trade.

The CIDG said that Barrido also executed an affidavit dated April 7, 2017 where she said the group generated propaganda linking Duterte to murder cases, corruption, the Davao Death Squad, and illegal drugs.

READ: Woman ‘bribed’ to testify vs Duterte eyes filing case vs Trillanes

The CIDG said that Barrido volunteered this affidavit to form part of the complaint for inciting to sedition the police unit also filed against several opposition personalities including Trillanes based on the statements of Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy” who appeared in the “Ang Tottong Narcolist” (The Real Narcolist) videos.

Barrido volunteered her affidavit to strengthen the claim of Advincula that “indeed, it became a modus operandi of the said group in getting people and allow them to surface in social media to discredit a legitimate government.”

The CIDG said in its complaint that the claim of Barrido “has an impression of similar modus operandi to incite sedition” as in the case of Advincula.

“It is clear from the foregoing that herein respondents ferociously, maliciously, and intentionally put the complainant under detention for fourteen days in order to force her to do something against her will,” the CIDG said in its complaint.

In 2017, Trillanes had already denied the allegations that he forced Barrido to testify against Duterte. /gsg