Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is confident that the inciting to sedition case filed against him will be dismissed.
鈥淗e just made an allegation. Madali ito [This will be easy]. This will be a no-brainer for any objective and fair-minded prosecutor so I expect that this case will be dismissed,鈥� Trillanes told reporters after he submitted his counter-affidavit before the Pasay City Prosecutor鈥檚 Office.
The case was filed by former lawmaker and now Labor Undersecretary Jacinto V. Paras and lawyers Nasser Marohomsalic, Manuelito Luna, Eligio Mallari, and Alvaro Bernabe. They want Trillanes to be prosecuted for inciting to sedition and proposal to commit coup d鈥櫭﹖at for his 鈥渋ncendiary and hateful speeches against President Duterte after [the] issuance of Proclamation 572 that voided the amnesty granted to him during the previous administration.鈥�
The complainants alleged that Trillanes, in his speeches, called on the military to take up arms against the President. They also cited Trillanes鈥� allegations of corruption against Duterte.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV submits his counter-affidavit before the Pasay City Prosecutors Office. In the photo are complainants Attys. Manuelito Luna, Eligio Mallari and Nasser Marohomsalic.
鈥淧rimarily ginawa ito [complaint] to harass me and to show their loyalty to Duterte, 鈥榶un lang 鈥榶on,鈥� Trillanes said.
(Primarily, this [complaint] was filed to harass me and to show their loyalty to Duterte, that鈥檚 just it.)
In his counter-affidavit, Trillanes said the complainants failed to provide evidence that he openly encouraged people to rise against the administration.
鈥淎s one of the Senators of the Republic, respondents believes in good faith that it is part of his public duties to report to the people, through the media and to keep the public updated on the relevant issues of graft and corruption,鈥� the senator contended in his counter-affidavit.
Trillanes also stressed the complainants lacked personal knowledge of their allegations because they merely attached printouts of news articles in their complaint.
鈥淭he elements of conspiracy and/or proposal to commit coup d鈥櫭﹖at have not been sufficiently proven by complainants. Thus, the charges against respondent must be dismissed,鈥� the senator said.
This is the second inciting to sedition complaint against Trillanes. The case is currently pending before Pasay Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 45.聽 /kga