Sen. Trillanes indicted for inciting to sedition

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. *

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