GO confident that Trillanes will be granted furlough today (Friday) for proclamation

By Ronron
June 14, 2007

The Genuine Opposition (GO) is confident that the Makati City court will allow winning Senatorial candidate Antonio Trillanes IV to attend his proclamation today (Friday) by the Commission on Elections, sitting as National Board of Canvassers (NBOC).

GO spokesman Atty. Adel Tamano said they see no reason why Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 should deny Trillanes’ desire to attend his proclamation as the incoming 11th Senator of the 14th Congress of the Philippines.

“The concern always of the judges in regard to people with criminal cases is that they might escape or suddenly hide. But in the case of Lt. Trillanes, this is already absent because first, all the people know him, being a Senator already. So it is impossible to tag Sen. Trillanes as a flight risk,” Tamano said in Filipino.

Tamano said that knowing Pimentel also as a compassionate person, having the latter as his professor at law school, he is confident that the judge will see the “logic” in allowing Trillanes to participate in the proclamation rites.

“Lt. Trillanes will not really run away because we know him as a principled man. We are all aware that all his fellow accused are now entering into a plea-bargaining agreement. Not him. He will really face the charges against him,” Tamano said.

He said that while a proclamation in absentia is allowed like in the case of Senator-elect Joker Arroyo, the opposition prefers that Trillanes be physically there as a respect to the people who voted for him.

Tamano said the GO is elated about the impending proclamation of Trillanes, calling it a “wonderful news.”

Trillanes’ lawyer, Reynaldo Robles, said they immediately worked fast to get the court’s permission for Trillanes’ attendance at the proclamation rites.

“We are hoping that it will be granted, although he can be proclaimed in absentia. But he’s just asking for a very simple thing,” Robles said.

The court has yet to grant the motion of Trillanes as of this writing.

Trillanes is currently detained at the Philippine Marine Brig in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City as he faces charges of coup d’ etat at the Makati RTC and violation of Articles of War before the General Court Martial in relation to his participation in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny./DMS