Article quoted Trillanes as saying he and his colleagues “did not admit to the charge of coup d’etat or anything na finile sa amin”
(Eagle News) — A Makati court has ordered GMA News TV to produce a “duly authenticated” copy of its 2011 report that said Senator Antonio Trillanes IV availed of the amnesty granted by the then-government for the Oakwood mutiny and the Peninsula Manila siege in 2003 and 2007, respectively.
Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda in particular issued a subpoena duces tecum for the board to produce the copy of the article titled “Trillanes avails of amnesty, admits ‘breaking rules’” written by Mark Meruenas.
The article, dated January 2011, was cited as reference by Proclamation No. 572 which declared void ab initio the amnesty granted to Trillanes.
The proclamation had cited as bases for the declaration Trillanes’ alleged failure to file an official application for the amnesty, and his alleged failure to make an express admission of guilt for the crimes committed.
In the article, Trillanes was quoted as saying” “I would like to qualify that we did not admit to the charge of ‘coup d’etat’ or anything na finile sa amin because we believe hindi iyon ang nararapat na charge sa ginawa sa amin.”
The media organization was given until Wednesday, Sept. 19, to submit the copies to the Department of Justice and the court, where Trillanes was charged with rebellion.
Trillanes was also charged in Branch 148 of the Makati RTC for coup d’etat.
Trillanes’ contention is that the cases he faces in these courts have already been dismissed, but the DOJ said this was not the case following the issuance of the proclamation.
According to the DOJ, the earlier dismissal of the courts of those cases was, after all, anchored on the amnesty, which has been declared void ab initio.
