DOJ summons Trillanes over kidnapping case

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday summoned former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV over a kidnapping with serious illegal detention case filed by a businesswoman, who accused him and three others of keeping her in two convents.

In a subpoena signed by Acting State Prosecutor Gino Paolo Santiago, Trillanes – a fierce critic of President Rodrigo Duterte – has been called to appear before the justice department on the afternoon of October 11 for the preliminary investigation of his case.

The subpoena also directed Trillanes to submit his counter-affidavits and other supporting documents.

The former senator along with several others have been slapped with a criminal complaint for allegedly keeping the victim, Guillermina Lalic Barrido alias Guillermina Arcillas, in two convents on December 6 and 21, 2016, purportedly in an attempt to make her sign a testimony linking President Rodrigo Duterte to drug syndicates and extra-judicial killings.

Also charged were Fr. Albert Alejo, lawyer Jude Sabio, a certain Sister Ling of the Convent of Canossian Sisters, and several John Does and Jane Does.

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

Trillanes, however, said the summon is “just as absurd” as the revocation of his amnesty. He was referring to the time when Duterte annulled the amnesty granted to him by former President Benigno S. Aquino III.

READ: Duterte revokes Trillanes amnesty, orders his arrest 

“I have expected the worst from this administration, so this is just part of a continuing persecution of the political opposition,” Trillanes said in an interview over ANC.

“This case is as absurd as the revocation of my amnesty, because in the first place this complainant, this Mina fellow or person, I haven’t even met her even once,” he added. /kga