Should they proceed in charging Senator Antonio Trillanes IV
for inciting to sedition?
The opposition senator is without a doubt one of the fiercest
critic of President Rodrigo Duterte and his family. Since the 2016 elections
the senator has never been quiet when matters about the President or his family
is concern. It has already came to a point that the hometown of the President-
Davao city has declared him “persona non grata.”
Now, he is for another trouble brewing his way and this time it is serious. State prosecutors believe they have enough pieces of evidence to pin down the senator for inciting to sedition (Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code), proposing to commit coup d’etat (Article 136 of the RPC) and graft. *
Now, he is for another trouble brewing his way and this time it is serious. State prosecutors believe they have enough pieces of evidence to pin down the senator for inciting to sedition (Article 142 of the Revised Penal Code), proposing to commit coup d’etat (Article 136 of the RPC) and graft. *
Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV(photo credit to Philstar) |
Senator Trillanes had a privilege
speech last October of 2017, in that speech he said that soldiers should shoot
the Philippine leader using an M-60 machine gun for his alleged hidden wealth.
The senator was accusing the President and his family having bank transactions amounting to around P2 Billion, noting that this money could not be justified as the president or his family did not have any business.
The senator supposedly said in his
speech: "Kung makikita ito ng mga sundalo, M60 machine gun ang gagamitin
sa 'yo. Marami-rami itom maubos magazine kung P40 million hinahanap mo Mr.
Duterte."
Pasay prosecutor Joahna Gabatino-Lim,the senior
assistant city prosecutor, the utterances of senator Trillanes ““may have been
suggestive to fall within the scope of inciting to sedition.”
“It is recommended that the within attached information for inciting to
sedition… against respondents Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV, John and Jane
Does be approved and filed in court,” the decision, dated March 14, 2018, said.
However the Pasay prosecutor said that the
charge for the crime of conspiracy and proposal to commit coup d’etat could not
prosper.
“The acts complained of do not show that respondent proposes to other
persons the commission of the crime of coup d’etat,” the decision said in
dismissing it for lack of probable cause. *
Gabatino-Lim added that Senator Trillanes enticed the
people to sign a petition to pressure the President to do certain acts and make
it appear that Duterte amassed ill-gotten wealth.
Trillanes' supposed pronouncement of "Ang total na
laman na pumasok sa account ay mahigit P2 billion (In total, P2 billion went
into the account)" tended to "create in the minds of public a feeling
hatred and disgust" towards the President and the government, the
prosecutor said.
Trillanes : I will face the charges
The senator upon knowing what has transpired in Pasay city
said he will face the charges and has denied inciting violence against the
President.
"Maliwanag na baluktot at panggigipit itong kasong ito
na nakabase sa privilege speech ko sa Senado na bukod na sa merong
constitutionally guaranteed immunity from suit, ay wala akong inincite na kung
sino to do anything," he said.
Report from ABS CBN
Report from ABS CBN
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