Aquino wants DOJ to review Trillanes bail request

Saying detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV may have been a victim of injustice, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday that he wants the Department of Justice to review the senator's request for bail. In an ambush interview in Subic, Aquino pointed out that Trillanes was first jailed because he faced coup d’etat charges before the Makati City Regional Trial Court branch 148 for his participation in the so-called Oakwood Mutiny on July 27, 2003. The senator later also faced rebellion charges before the Makati City RTC Branch 150 for taking part in the so-called Manila Peninsula hotel siege in November 2007.
"When you review the Revised Penal Code, there's a provision that says coup d'etat, how [it was] committed, it says swift violent attack, then it has an enumeration. The enumeration does not include a hotel; kinulong siya (he was jailed) because of Oakwood," said Aquino. "My opinion is, and that is just my individual opinion, the fiscal should not have let that case prosper. There are several other cases. Pero yun na-coup d'etat specific ang requirements. Kulang yung elements sa coup d' etat, nagkaroon ng injustice yata (But for the coup d’etat case, the requirements are specific. Some elements are lacking for the coup d’etat case, and there seems to be an injustice here)," he said. Trillanes posted a P200,000 bail before the Makati RTC branch 150 "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. Aquino said he has asked Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to "review it (Trillanes's bail request) thoroughly." But Aquino hastened to add that from his understanding, the DOJ "will be taking a position that they will leave it up to court to decide on the petition of Senator Trillanes with regards to participation in organizing the Senate come the start of session." Trillanes is currently detained at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame.—Jam L. Sisante, GMANews.TV