Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – A special treatment should be accorded to 90-year-old Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile if he would be sent to jail because of his alleged involvement in the “pork barrel” funds scam, Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes said on Wednesday.
Trillanes said he would not also oppose a house arrest for Enrile, his erstwhile foe.
“I’d like to believe that Senator Enrile by virtue of his age, his advanced age baka hindi ‘yan pwedeng ilagay sa ordinaryong detention facility (it might not be appropriate to put him in an ordinary detention facility),” Trillanes said during the weekly forum at the Senate.
“He’s a 90 year-old man, ‘pag nilagay mo d’yan, may special needs ang mga very senior senior citizens na hindi mapo-provide sa ordinaryong detention facility,” he said.
(He’s a 90-year-old man, if you put him there, the seniors citizens have special needs that may not be provided in an ordinary detention facility)
Trillanes, who was detained for more than seven years during the time of then President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, said a “special treatment” should be given to accused senior citizens especially if they have not been convicted yet like Enrile.
”Dapat may considerations tayo (We should have considerations) regarding the physical conditions of Senator Enrile, if it comes to that,” he told reporters after the forum.
Asked about a house arrest for Enrile, Trillanes said he would not oppose to it but said it would be up to the Sandiganbayan.
He was hopeful though that the court will keep an open-mind and consider Enrile’s age and physical conditions.
“It will be up to the Sandiganbayan pero ang sa akin, kailangan i-consider ‘yan. Our society is not heartless …kasi ‘yung ordinary detention facility natin hidi talaga kaya. I lived there for seven and a half years kahit saan ka ilagay, hindi ‘yan kakayanin ng 90-year-old man,” he said.
(It will be up to the Sandiganbayan but for me, we need to consider that (possibility of house arrest for Enrile). Our society is not heartless…because he really can’t make it an ordinary detention facility. I lived there for seven and a half years, and a 90-year-old man won’t make it there.)
“Kelangan talaga ang mga senior citizens natin, kelangan mabigyan ng special treatment kasi ‘yung mga convicted nga, sila yung priority for pardon, more so ‘yung nililitis pa lang,” he further said.
(The senior citizens should really be given a special treatment because even those convicted, they are the priority for pardon more so those still undergoing trial)
Enrile, along with Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr and several other personalities, have been indicted by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the “pork” scam but the cases have yet to be filed before the Sandiganbayan.
As to the other senators facing criminal charges in court, Trillanes said they would see to it that they would be treated fairly and accorded due respect with the presumption of innocence.
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