(Photo source: Inquirer)
Convicted mutineer-turned-Senator Antonio Trillanes is a dangerous man. He is a danger to himself and the Filipino people. He should be locked up in jail for good not just for his crimes in the past, but also to prevent him from doing further damage to Philippine institutions and the public. It’s not just his past activities organising coup d’etats against former President Gloria Arroyo that causes problems, but also his incessant negative propaganda against public officials he considers enemies today, which includes the current President Rodrigo Duterte.
One would think that the threat of getting thrown back in prison would teach Trillanes to stop mocking his enemies, but the senator doesn’t seem to know when to quit while he is ahead. After finding out that Duterte had voided the amnesty given to him by former President BS Aquino in 2010, Trillanes decided to stay holed up in his office in the Senate building to avoid possible arrest and being sent back to prison. He has enjoyed the protection of the Senate halls for almost a week now and that is how long the circus has been going as well. Of course members of mainstream media who are dying for sound bytes from the senator are also camping in the building.
Senate President Vicente Sotto III should put an end to the madness because it will affect their work during session time. The senators will not be able to focus on more important issues as long as the Trillanes show is going on. The facilities at the building also have to remain on even during weekends and at night just to accommodate him, the media and his entourage. Trillanes is abusing his privileges as a senator. His indefinite stay in his office in the Senate building is costing public money.
Liberal Party senators like Kiko Pangilinan are even calling for more people to go and rally in support of Trillanes at the weekend. That is so pathetic. These supporters are just going to make a mess and then leave their garbage in the Senate premises. It’s a good thing not a lot of people went. There are fewer people who support the likes of Trillanes and his Liberal Party allies nowadays. The general public has come to realise that all the mud these LP personalities have been throwing at Duterte were baseless and are simply negative propaganda mounted to rile up the public against him. The people have seen through their tired old tactic since they have been doing the same thing over and over against their enemies in the past.
So far, Trillanes has not produced evidence that his application for amnesty complied with the requirements which specifies that a proper application for amnesty should be completed and his admission of guilt for his crimes put on record in the said application. The Armed Forces of the Philippines claims “there is no available copy” of Trillanes’s application. While media reports and videos show Trillanes applying for amnesty in January 2011, the paperwork he was holding did not have signatures and proof that it was accepted by the proper authorities.
Just like a comedian, Trillanes is now insisting he admitted to breaking the rules when he organised the coups. He is now proud to say he committed the crimes just to get out of jail. He’s being a wus. He is not prepared to do the time for his crime.
Trillanes and his supporters are crying foul and accusing Duterte of using the law as a weapon against him. The irony is flying way over their heads. They don’t realise how dumb they are. Since Duterte is using the law, then the only solution to their problem is to follow the law. Trillanes should not be afraid of anything if he has the documents needed to keep him out of jail.
The Liberal Party supporters who are fighting for Trillanes should be angry at the senator actually. Noynoy pardoned him for a reason – to be their attack dog. Problem is his work did not help much in ensuring the Liberal Party stayed in power. He is basically useless and expensive to maintain. It is right to send him back to jail.
I think Trillanes has become the latest victim of the Liberal Party’s incompetence. The previous one was Lourdes Sereno who was ousted from her post as Supreme Court Chief Justice. Just like Sereno’s dilemma, Trillanes’s dilemma is the result of the Liberal Party’s reckless moves – not filing the proper documents. They thought they were going to be in power forever and didn’t think it was important to make sure their bases were covered and their i’s and t’s duly dotted and crossed. The lawyers from that party are useless.
The lesson here is, in making a deal with the Liberal Party, one should hire a good lawyer who will go over the small print. It is now apparent the members of that party don’t care about rules and think they are above it. It will come back to bite if one doesn’t do his or her due diligence. Likewise, the Liberal Party has been known to double-cross their own allies. They could have deliberately granted Trillanes amnesty without proper documentation as insurance later on just in case they need to throw him under the bus, which they have done with some of their allies in the past.
Trillanes should not have been granted amnesty in the first place. He was involved in a few attempts to overthrow former President Gloria Arroyo. It was very clear why former President BS Aquino did though. It was a case of “the enemy of my political enemy is my friend”. It’s no secret how much BS Aquino hates Gloria Arroyo. He believed Trillanes did not violate the law in mounting a coup and was doing everyone a favour. Unfortunately, once Trillanes became part of the system as a public servant, he became corrupt too. He used his resources and power as a senator not to unite Filipinos, but to divide. He kept mounting attacks against people he considered “corrupt” using Senate hearings and privilege speeches. His victims include his former ally former Vice President Jejomar Binay who was with him during the November 29, 2007 Manila Peninsula mutiny. Trillanes is a double crosser, indeed. Trillanes was also instrumental in pushing the late General Angelo Reyes into putting a bullet in his head after the senator crucified him during a Senate hearing and called him corrupt.
What Duterte is doing – putting Trillanes back in prison – will be good for the country. It should serve as deterrent against coup plotters from both the military and public servants. Trillanes should have been dealt with severely then for his actions to overthrow the government. It’s time for Filipinos to realise that throwing the rule book out of the window only puts the country two steps backward.
I think it is better that Trillanes will go back to jail after having a taste of the high life. He now knows what he is missing, which is a better punishment. He travelled overseas a lot especially to China, Europe and US. He also spent a lot of funds on “consultants”. Most of his activities benefitted his agenda.
Trillanes looks so desperate now turning to priests for salvation. He didn’t even care about the damage to property and lives his lies caused in the past. Trillanes was also photographed holding a religious Catholic icon. He reminds me of former Calauan, Laguna Mayor Antonio Sanchez who was convicted for raping and killing of a UP student. Sanchez also kept showing to the public he was holding a statue or religious icon to prove he is pious or even saintly. It did not help him get out of jail.
Even with the threat of imprisonment, Trillanes still vowed to one day go after Duterte and Solicitor General Jose Calida for his current predicament. He is evidently not very wise. He couldn’t keep his plans to himself while he is still in deep trouble. He seems to think his enemies will stop what they are doing to him when he threatens them. Obviously, the more he barks, the more they will push for his incarceration. Trillanes seems to enjoy digging his own grave.
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