MANILA – A Pasay City court on Thursday dismissed the motion of outgoing Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to quash the inciting to sedition charges filed against him for lack of merit.
With the verdict of the Pasay City Metropolitan Trial Court Branch 45, Trillanes was set to face sedition raps, which originated from his privilege speech at the Senate when he urged the military to shoot President Rodrigo Duterte.
Trillanes in his speech said “so ito ngayon ang sagot. Kung makikita ‘to ng mga sundalo, M60 machine gun ang gagamitin sa’yo. Marami-rami ito, mauubos magazine kung P40-million hinahanap mo, Mr. Duterte.”
In his motion before the court, Trillanes said the case against him should be dismissed since it does not constitute inciting to sedition, there were “undisputed facts” justifying the alleged offense, and he was covered by parliamentary immunity.
He added “he was just resorting to hyperbole” to an earlier speech of Duterte, who dared soldiers to shoot him if he has P40-million in his bank account.
The Pasay City court said the senator’s arguments were “based on allegations that are purely evidentiary in nature, the truth of which can only be ascertained in a full-blown trial where the parties will be given equal opportunity to present proof that will support their respective claims.”
Aside from this case, Trillanes faced another inciting to sedition case over statements he allegedly made against the President for a proclamation revoking the amnesty granted to him by former president Benigno Aquino III for his participation in twin mutiny. /PN
