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SC junks Trillanes plea to attend functions


MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court on Friday junked the petition of detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV that he be allowed to attend to official functions and receive members of his staff at his detention cell in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. In a 16-page decision penned by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, the SC en banc affirmed the ruling of Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati regional trial court branch 48 that denied Trillanes’ arguments. That decision also said that Trillanes was a flight risk. Citing the Rules of Court, the SC said that no person charged with capital offense or offense punishable with reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment shall be admitted to bail when evidence of guilt is strong, regardless of the state of the criminal action. The court also denied Trillanes' assertion that he is not a flight risk since he voluntarily surrendered to authorities and was even allowed to travel outside his place of detention. The SC said that subsequent events would show that Trillanes has shown himself to be a flight risk at it cited the November 29, 2007 incident which led to a standoff at the Peninsula Manila hotel. In his petition, Trillanes had asked the SC to reverse the July 25, 2007 Order of Judge Pimentel which denied his motion to attend Senate sessions and its other activities, being chairman of the Senate committee on civil service and government reorganization - GMANews.TV
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