Trillanes bail ‘a welcome development,’ says AFP

The military is considering detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a former Navy official charged for attempting to overthrow the Arroyo administration, as an ally whose temporary freedom would be “a welcome development." “It’s a welcome development if in case eventually he (Trillanes) will be given the liberty," Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said on Sunday, adding that they consider Trillanes as an ally especially in Congress. “Trillanes, knowing him to be a former member of the Armed Forces, can certainly be an ally of the Armed Forces (in Congress). We look at it, at least from my point of view, a welcome development because we will have another ally," he said. Trillanes, presently detained at the national police headquarters in Camp Crame, has posted a P150,000-bail before the Makati City court hearing his case last week so that he would be allowed to attend the opening of Congress session on July 26. The senator posted bail in anticipation that the court would rule in favor of his pending petition for bail. Trillanes was charged before a military court for leading more than 300 soldiers in mounting the celebrated Oakwood mutiny in July 2003. He is also facing rebellion charges in a civilian court in connection with the November 2007 siege of the Manila Peninsula Hotel. In both cases, he called for the resignation of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. President Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III, Trillanes’ former colleague at the Senate, earned controversy last week when he said that the mutiny suspect may have been a victim of injustice, noting that based on the Revised Penal Code, the commission of coup d'etat does not include seizing an entire hotel. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda defended Aquino, saying the President was merely expressing his personal opinion when he made the statement. Mabanta, meanwhile, said that with Aquino in Malacañang, other mutiny suspects who are still at large should grab the opportunity and surrender. “They should take the cue . . . for them really to also go out in the open and start negotiating or start talking to us because certainly, the present regime is legitimate considering [the] very high mandate given by the people last elections," he said. - KBK, GMANews.TV