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[av_heading heading=’ Treason, espionage raps vs Trillanes, Noy junked’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Monday, June 19, 2017
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MANILA – The Office of Ombudsman dismissed the treason and espionage charges filed against former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV over backchannel talks with China.
There was no probable cause to indict Aquino and Trillanes for violation of Articles 114 and 117 of the Revised Penal Code.
Treason is a war crime and cannot be committed in peacetime, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales said in a statement.
“While there is peace, there are no traitors. There must be actual hostilities,” Morales said. “The ongoing maritime dispute does not make China an enemy of our country since both [Philippines and China] have bilateral and diplomatic relations.”
“Backchannel negotiations with China cannot be construed as ‘giving aid to enemy,’” she added. “It is an inherent presidential power of Aquino to pursue negotiations with other states.”
Moreover, Trillanes merely acted under Aquino’s instruction to negotiate with Chinese representatives “to ease the tension,” said Morales.
“His actions could not have emboldened China as claimed by the complainants,” she said.
The Ombudsman also junked the espionage allegation.
The so-called Brady Notes — the basis of the complaint — “are considered hearsays and thus should not be given evidentiary weight,” Morales said.
According to her, the notes were insufficient to prove the senator disclosed vital information “with the intent or reason to believe that such information would be used by China to the injury of the Philippines.”
The criminal complaint stemmed from Trillanes’ alleged “clandestine meetings” with Chinese officials where he allegedly peddled misinformation that “emboldened” Beijing to commit its “aggressive posturing” in the disputed South China Sea.
Retired General Roberto Lastimoso, Dr. Enrico Sampang, Dr. Dioscoro Esteban Jr., retired Judge Moslemen Macarambon, and former cultural communities sectoral representative Ronald Adamat filed the complaint last year./PN
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