Malacanang on Sunday reminded the camp of presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte that treason was an offense committed only in time of war, and the Philippines was not at war with any nation.
This was the Palace’s reply to the charges of treason and espionage that Duterte’s supporters filed against President Aquino and vice presidential candidate Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for conducting backdoor negotiations with China in connection with the maritime dispute in the South China Sea.
Martin Diño, Duterte’s national campaign manager, filed the charges on Friday, days after Trillanes accused Duterte of having millions in undeclared bank accounts.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that under the Revised Penal Code, treason could only be committed in times of war where the Philippines is involved.
On state-run Radyo ng Bayan, Coloma said the charge of treason against the President “is not applicable at this time.”
“There is no legal basis for the reported case filed against the President. We reiterate the actions taken by the government regarding the settlement of the disputes in the South China Sea are rules based, thus we have filed for arbitration under the Unclos rules,” Coloma said in a statement.
China’s intent
Duterte’s camp filed the complaint in the Office of the Ombudsman.
It said that Trillanes’ “back-channel talks with China” a few years ago “only advanced the interest” of China.
Trillanes admitted to talking with Chinese representatives in 2012 at the height of the tensions between China and the Philippines in the disputed Scarborough Shoal.
President Aquino was aware of the talks as his administration also pursued an arbitration case, which it filed with the United Nations arbitration court in 2013.
Trillanes, for his part, yesterday said the cases filed against him by the Duterte camp were “primarily a misdirection” after he had attacked the presidential front-runner for allegedly maintaining secret bank accounts.
Only the messenger
“Duterte knows that my message struck him at the heart of his fraudulent image so he is trying to smear my name as the messenger,” Trillanes said in a text message.
Trillanes said the charges against him showed Duterte’s “gross ignorance” about the issue.
He said he was appointed by President Aquino as a “back channel negotiator” in 2012 to “de-escalate the tense situation in Panatag” or Scarborough Shoal.
In April 2012, a Philippine warship and Chinese maritime ships ended up in a standoff at Scarborough Shoal when the former intercepted Chinese fishermen there.
“I was able to accomplish my mission, within the authority given to me by the President, without compromising our territorial claim, which is now the main subject of our territorial claim,” Trillanes said.