Makati court allows Trillanes, Lim, 16 others to post bail

(Updated 1:50 p.m.) A Philippine court has allowed detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, resigned Army general Danilo Lim and 16 others facing rebellion charges in connection with the November 2007 siege of the Peninsula Manila hotel to post bail, giving them temporary liberty while the case is being heard. Josfa Valencia, clerk of court of Branch 150, told GMANews.TV that Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 had found insufficient evidence not to grant the senator's plea for bail. The decision was signed on February 16. Allowed to post bail with Trillanes and Lim were 16 other servicemen who participated in the 2007 mutiny, where soldiers took control of the hotel in Makati's central business district, trapping several civilians, including journalists covering the standoff. Shortly after the motion to post bail was granted, Trillanes and Lim issued separate statements welcoming the development. "I am very happy for my companions as their long awaited freedom is finally at hand. More importantly, this is a victory for our justice system. I thank Judge Elmo Alameda for displaying fairness and impartiality in his decision to grant bail," he said. "This proves that there are still bright spots in the judiciary." For his part, Lim, a senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party said: "I extend my gratitude to Judge Alameda for treating us fairly and without prejudice. His decision, though granting me and my men only temporary liberty, is a clear victory for those who are fervent in pursuing justice." Standoff During a Makati court hearing on Nov. 29, 2007, Trillanes, together with other soldiers slapped with coup d' etat charges in connection with the 2003 Oakwood Hotel mutiny, slipped past court security and marched towards the Peninsula Manila hotel. The officers marched through the streets of Makati City. The mutineers called for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and seized the second floor of the hotel along Ayala Avenue. After several hours, Trillanes and Lim surrendered to government forces once a military armored personnel carrier had barged into the hotel lobby. Trillanes and the mutineers were arrested while several journalists that covered the event were detained. The journalists were later released. In a separate report, dzMM radio quoted Alameda as saying that the 18 accused must post a P200,000 bail. Ernesto Francisco, Trillanes's lawyer, said they would ask the court to lower the bail bond since his client could not afford it. "The hearing for our bail petition took too long. The Justice department presented too many witnesses, but the court found that the prosecution had failed to present strong evidence in the rebellion case, so now they may post bail," Francisco said in Filipino. Freedom still uncertain Francisco claimed that all the accused in the Peninsula Manila siege, excluding Trillanes and Lim, "will surely be set free." The lawyer said they were still unsure if the two leaders could go out on bail pending other charges apart from the rebellion case. Trillanes is also facing charges of coup d'etat over the Oakwood incident as well as mutiny charge before a military tribunal. On the other hand, Lim is also facing mutiny charges before a military court in connection with the alleged coup d' etat in February 2006. "We have yet to check with the military if Lim will be allowed to go out of detention. But he should be," Francisco said. Lim is a senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party. He was earlier allowed to fly to his home province of Nueva Vizcaya to attend a celebration in his alma mater. [See: Makati court gives Danny Lim 3-day freedom] Francisco said Alameda's decision to grant Trillanes bail could help their camp convince Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 — now hearing the senator's case for the Oakwood mutiny — to also allow him to post bail. The lawyer noted that except for Trillanes, the rest of the accused in the Oakwood mutiny had been out on bail. The senator is being detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center inside Camp Crame in Quezon City for rebellion charges. While jailed, Trillanes still won in the 2007 senatorial elections, where he placed 11th after earning around 11 million votes. Respect court decision Meanwhile, military spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner was quoted in a radio report as saying that the Armed Forces of the Philippines would respect the court decision. However, Brawner said he had yet to consult with the military's Judge Advocate General's Office about the implication of Alameda's decision on Lim's other case. A radio dzMM report said Lim's wife Aloysa had rushed to the PNP custodial center after hearing about the court decision and visited her husband. The wife was quoted as saying that the "wheels of justice are still turning." — with reports from Sophia Dedace, LBG/NPA/RSJ, GMANews.TV