Following the news regarding another case of Duterte’s plan to arrest his critic, Reuters reported, on Tuesday (25/09) Senator Antonio Trillanes, a lawmaker who is also one of the vocal critics of the president arrested after the Makati City Trial court established a warrant of revived charges of rebellion that was dropped in 2011 after an amnesty.
Before this happened, Duterte has denied accusations from Trillanes on executions of thousands of suspected criminals and drug dealers which categorized as crimes against humanity.
According to Trillanes, this was “clearly a harassment case”. “This is a debacle and a defeat of democracy,” Trillanes who is also a former navy lieutenant continued the statement.
Harry Roque, the spokesman of president hopes to close the case altogether since the court has decided, “let us stop the drama by a press conference and allow the legal process to take its course.”
The past three weeks, Trillanes has been known as the one who wants to bring down the leadership of Duterte as the president has decided to abolish an amnesty given to him by the former president Benigno Aquino in 2010 over the case of failed coup attempts. Since the amnesty has been voided by president Duterte, followed by the fact that Trilanes failed to admit guilt, the president instructed the military courts to revive Trillanes’ charges.
The action taken by Duterte in reviving the charges against the senator is seen by the New York-based Human Rights Watch as “he latest in the relentless campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the president’s murderous drug war.”
As part of the consequences, Trillanes was released on bail of 20,000 pesos (equals to approximately $3,700) as he reverts to trial for the charges, the New York Times has reported. Responding to this, Trillanes admitted that he would still follow all legal procedures “no matter how unjust that warrant may be.”