AFP can’t allow Trillanes to leave detention for campaign purposes

By Ronron
April 24, 2007

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) most likely will not allow resigned Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV to leave his detention cell for his campaign activities in relation to his senatorial bid for the May 14 polls.

In an interview Tuesday at Camp Aguinaldo, AFP Public Information Officer Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the military justice system has no provision regarding “right to bail,” which any accused gets from civilian courts as mandated by the Constitution.

“There is no such thing as right to bail in the military court, in the military justice system,” Bacarro said.

On Monday, the Genuine Opposition (GO), where Trillanes belongs, sought for the latter’s release following the granting of bail to former Senator Gregorio Honasan, his co-accused on coup d’ etat charges before the Makati City Regional Trial Court.

“Since Sen. Honasan, who is alleged to be the one of the masterminds of the Oakwood incident, has been granted bail, then GO candidate Lt. SG Antonio Trillanes, who allegedly merely executed the plan, should likewise be granted bail and allowed to campaign,” GO spokesman Atty. Adel Tamano said in a statement.

Honasan, who is an independent senatorial candidate for this May 14 election, was able to gain temporary freedom last Friday night after posting bail worth P200,000. The court granted his petition for bail, saying that as an alleged co-conspirator, his maximum punishment is only Reclusion Temporal, not Reclusion Perpetua.

But unlike Honasan, Trillanes is also facing charges for the same incident before a General Court Martial (GCM) since he was an active member of the AFP when he joined the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.

“For extreme exigencies, for humanitarian reasons, these personnel who are under detention can be given leave from their confinement, example there are members of the family who died,” Bacarro said.

“But if you will apply the provisions of his (Trillanes) detention in the military court, I think (going out to campaign) is not probable,” he added.

Bacarro said even if the Makati court grants his petition for bail, Trillanes will still not be released by the military because of his ongoing case at the GCM.

Bacarro said Trillanes may only be released if the GCM approves it.

Trillanes allegedly led around 300 junior officers and enlisted personnel in seizing the posh Oakwood Hotel and Condominium in Makati City last July 27, 2003 to air their grievances over massive corruption in government./DMS