Trillanes posts bail to attend Senate opening session

Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Thursday posted a P200,000 bail before a Makati court, in hopes he will be able to attend the opening of session of the 15th Congress on July 26. Trillanes' counsel Reynaldo Robles told GMANews.TV that the bail was filed before the the sala of Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150, where the senator is facing rebellion charges for taking part in the so-called Manila Peninsula siege in November 2007. He said the bail was posted "in anticipation of the possibility" that Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati RTC branch 148 would grant the senator's earlier motion for a leave-from-detention to attend the opening of the Senate session. Aside from rebellion charges at Judge Alameda's sala, Trillanes, a former Navy officer, is also facing coup d’etat charges before the Makati RTC branch 148 for his participation in the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny. Trillanes is also facing trial before a military tribunal in connection with the Oakwood incident. There is no bail under the military justice system. Last February, Alameda allowed the senator to post bail but was still barred from going free because of the coup d’etat case he is facing in another court. Robles, however, pointed out that circumstances this time around are different. "The opening of the Senate only happens only once every three years. We pointed out to the court that (Trillanes), as an elected senator, must participate in the election of the Senate officers," he said. He added that the presence of Trillanes during the Session is "critical" because only 21 out of the 24 Senators would likely be attending the opening session. A senator needs 13 votes to secure the Senate presidency. Trillanes will not be allowed to vote if he is not present during the session. Two senators might not be able to attend and cast votes: Trillanes and Senator Panfilo Lacson who is currently in hiding because of his alleged involvement in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case. On the other hand, former senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has assumed the presidency on June 30 after winning the presidential race in the last elections. Earlier, Senator Sergio "Serge" Osmeña said that if Trillanes would be able to attend the opening of the Senate's session, the former military officer would give his vote to Senator Francis Pangilinan of the Liberal Party and not to Senator Manuel Villar of the Nacionalista Party (NP). Trillanes ran as an independent in the 2007 polls. Robles expressed hope the court would favor their motion. "We are hoping na payagan siya (that he will be allowed to go), it's still up to the court," he said, adding that the senator's camp also wishes the Philippine National Police will withdraw its written opposition to their plea. Trillanes is also facing conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman before a military tribunal for his part in the Oakwood Mutiny. But he was not charged before the military tribunal for taking part in the Manila Peninsula siege as he was already a civilian then. He was deemed resigned from the military when he ran for senator in the 2007 elections. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV