Court moves promulgation of verdict on Trillanes case to Dec 16

A Makati court has granted the request of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and two other military officers implicated in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny to defer the announcement of the verdict on their coup d'etat case. The promulgation was scheduled on October 28 but was moved to December 16. In a phone interview Wednesday, lawyer Rey Robles said Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 granted the military officers' request to postpone the promulgation of its decision scheduled on October 28. Aside from Trillanes, those who filed the motion were former Navy Lt SG James Layug and Marine Capt. Gary Lejano. Robles said the court's promulgation was moved to December 16 at 8:30 a.m, just three days before the end of the 90-day period given to Pimentel to resolve the case. "We just filed the motion in the hopes that the judge will recognize the merits of the request," Robles told GMANews.TV. Robles said the court granted the request as "judicial courtesy" to Congress while it tackles President Benigno Simeon Aquino III's proclamation granting amnesty to soldiers involved in at least three attempts to overthrow the Arroyo administration. Under the 1987 Constitution, majority of members of Congress must concur with a president's decision to grant amnesty to political offenders. Earlier, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said they will give priority to the resolution concurring with Aquino's Proclamation 50 when the Senate resumes session on November 8. The resolution was approved by the Senate committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation last October 18. On the other hand, Robles said the House of Representatives will tackle their resolution concurring with the proclamation on November 10, two days after Congress resumes session. As the fate of the amnesty proclamation remains hanging, Robles said he told Trillanes to be prepared for the outcome of his coup d' etat case. "We don't really know, we are hoping for an acquittal. (But) I told him (Trillanes) to prepare for both," he said. Senator Francis Escudero, meanwhile, said it did not matter whether the promulgation will come before or after the amnesty was officially granted. "Even if they go through with the promulgation, that doesn't have any effect on the amnesty grant because their decision is not final and executory," he told reporters in an interview on Wednesday. Amnesty to mutineers As a show of reconciliation, Aquino signed on October 11 a proclamation granting amnesty to over 300 military officers and personnel — including detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV — who were involved in three military uprisings against the Arroyo administration. Proclamation No. 50 grants amnesty to all active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their supporters, who committed acts or omissions punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War or other special laws related to the following: