Trillanes' vow of support not part of amnesty deal, Palace says

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's vow not to lead a coup d'etat against the Aquino administration was not a condition for President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to grant amnesty to the detained senator and over 300 other mutineers, a Malacañang official said Friday. At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said "there's no such condition" in the amnesty Aquino recently granted the mutineers. Last October 11, Aquino signed Proclamation No. 50 granting amnesty to military personnel involved in the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the Feb. 2006 Marines Stand-Off, the Nov. 29, 2007 Manila Peninsula Incident, and/or related incidents "provided that amnesty shall not cover crimes against chastity and other crimes committed for personal ends." The proclamation, however, must be approved by both chambers of Congress before it can take affect. On Monday, the Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation approved the resolution concurring with Aquino's proclamation. The House of Representatives is set to tackle the same next month.

More than a week after the issuance of the proclamation, Trillanes vowed not to lead any future coup attempts against Aquino. "We are going to support this administration since it has a mandate from the people," Trillanes said. Trillanes, however, said this was no guarantee that no other revolts would be staged against the government. "Even if iukit namin sa bato ‘yun, it wouldn’t guarantee na walang susunod sa ibang sektor, not only in the military, who will rise up against any administration. So [its] ultimate guarantee [is] good governance." (Even if we write [our vow] in stone, it wouldn’t guarantee that no other sector would follow suit, not only in the military, who will rise up against any administration. So its ultimate guarantee is good governance.) No reason to rebel? Lacierda said the Aquino administration will not give Trillanes or other elements any reason to rebel against the government. "We are assuring Senator Trillanes that we will not give any reason to do so (stage a coup). This administration will not give any reason for any element to rise up against it," said the Palace spokesman. Trillanes, a former Navy lieutenant senior grade, is facing charges before military and civilian courts for his participation in two alleged attempts to overthrow the administration of former President now incumbent Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 and the siege of the Peninsula Manila hotel in 2007. The issuance of the proclamation came a few weeks before the October 28 promulgation of the coup d'etat case against the soldiers, including Trillanes, who participated in Oakwood mutiny.
The amnesty proclamation has been criticized by various personalities, including Senator Joker Arroyo and economist Winnie Monsod. A state prosecutor earlier said that Proclamation No. 50 preempted the supposed October 28 promulgation of the decision on the coup d’état case. "If we want to respect the rule of law, if we want to bow to the court, we should wait for the court decision," said Senior State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, one of the state prosecutors handling the case against Trillanes. Message to prosecutors Even lawyer Theodore Te, who is the lawyer of four of the accused mutineers in the Oakwood incident, said the timing of the amnesty gave the impression that Malacañang was preempting the courts. He also said the amnesty proclamation can demoralize the judiciary. "The promulgation for the Oakwood takeover is on October 28, 2010. Perhaps the more prudent way forward would have been to wait for the promulgation and, if necessary, issue the amnesty proclamation; if necessary, meaning the accused are convicted. Issuing an amnesty proclamation ahead of the promulgation sends a clear message to the prosecution: the seven-year trial doesn't really count for much," Te said on his web log. "I am confident that my clients will be acquitted. My comments on the propriety of the timing of the amnesty proclamation are my own, not my clients'," he said. Malacañang, however, is standing by the amnesty proclamation, stressing that granting amnesty is the prerogative of the president and an "act of grace" from the executive branch. Aquino granted the amnesty as a show of reconciliation with all fronts since the government is pursuing peace negotiations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National Democratic Front (NDF). — RSJ, GMANews.TV