Makati court issues arrest warrant against Trillanes
THE MAKATI Regional Trial Court Branch 142 has issued an arrest warrant against Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV in connection with the libel complaint filed by dismissed Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” S. Binay, Jr.
Clerk of court Maricel Cairo said in a phone interview that the warrant was issued after the court found probable cause to charge the senator for the criminal offense.
“There’s already an order of probable cause,” Ms. Cairo said, adding that the warrant was mailed to authorities on Friday.
Mr. Trillanes’ lawyer, Reynaldo B. Robles, said the senator is on an official trip abroad for an international forum. But upon his arrival, he will “voluntarily submit himself to the jurisdiction of the Honorable Court, if so required.”
However, Mr. Robles noted in his statement that they have not even received yet their official copy of the resolution by the Acting City Prosecutor Gilmarie Fe Pacamara, which served as basis for the senator’s indictment before the court.
“We have not received our official copy of the investigating prosecutor’s Resolution; but if it is true that she recommended the filing of an Information for libel in court, Sen[ator] Trillanes will readily face the charges against him in court,” he said.
Mr. Robles also disclosed their plans to question the basis of the indictment.
Even as the senator submits to the court, it would be “without prejudice to the Senator’s right to file a motion for reconsideration or even appeal said resolution to the Department of Justice,” he said.
For his part, Mr. Trillanes was quoted as saying he will continue to “expose the truth” about the supposed anomalies in Makati City under the rule of the Binays, regardless of the libel charge.
“If the Binay family believes that I can be intimidated and threatened from exposing them, they are badly mistaken. I will do everything I can to make sure that plunderers will not rule this country again,” went Mr. Trillanes’ statement.
For his part, Mr. Binay’s lawyer, Claro F. Certeza, said in a statement the finding of probable cause against the senator is a “clear vindication” of the Binay family.
“Now that the issues are being discussed in the proper forum, where the rules of fairness are observed, the truth is slowly coming out. The filing of the Libel case before the courts show that Sen[ator] Trillanes’ allegation of bribery is untrue,” Mr. Certeza said.
Mr. Binay filed the libel complaint before the Makati City Prosecutor’s Office on April 13 last year. Six days earlier, the senator accused two unnamed members of the Court of Appeals Sixth Division of receiving P25 million each to issue two injunctions stopping the enforcement of the Office of the Ombudsman’s March 2015 preventive suspension order against the mayor.
Mr. Trillanes, for his part, said he only dropped the names of Associate Justices Jose C. Reyes, Jr. and Francisco P. Acosta when he filed the April 13, 2015 resolution seeking a probe into the appellate court’s “justice for sale” system.
He also invoked parliamentary immunity and said the statements were aired as part of the “lawful performance of his duties.”
Besides this libel complaint, Mr. Binay petitioned the Court of Appeals to cite him in contempt for the bribery allegations.
Mr. Trillanes is likewise a defendant in the P200-million civil suit filed by the mayor’s father, Vice-President Jejomar C. Binay, before the Makati RTC.
A staunch critic of the vicepresident, Mr. Trillanes is part of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that investigated the corruption allegations against the Binays, who have been in charge of the city since 1986. The vice-president is accused of rigging the bidding for public works in the city during his mayoralty, channeling the funds through dummies.
The Ombudsman issued in March 2015 a preventive suspension order against the younger Mr. Binay for his involvement in the alleged overpricing of the Makati City Hall car park building, but the Court of Appeals stopped its enforcement.
The Ombudsman later issued in June 2015 a second order against Mayor Binay in connection with the alleged overpricing of the Makati Science High School building. Failing to secure a stay order this time, he yielded his seat on July 1, 2015.
In October 2015, the Ombudsman ordered his dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public office in connection with the first case.
Vice-President Binay and Mr. Trillanes are now running in the 2016 elections for president and vice- president, respectively. While Mr. Binay currently tops the polls, the senator lags behind his rival candidates. — with