Trillanes plans to maintain office at Senate but will work in jail

By Ronron
June 7, 2007

Resigned Navy Lt. Sr. Grade Antonio Trillanes IV, who is awaiting proclamation by the Commission on Election as a winning senatorial candidate, will maintain an office at the Senate building in Pasay City but will actually work in jail.

This was disclosed by his lawyer, Reynaldo Robles, who said that Trillanes is already anticipating the Comelec proclamation to happen Friday at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

“There are many scenarios, one of which is we will regularly ask the court to allow him to attend sessions at the Senate,” Robles told reporters Thursday after a hearing at the Makati City court of the Magdalo group’s coup d’ etat case of which Trillanes is included.

“But after every session, he will go back to his detention cell at the Philippine Marine Brig (in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City),” Robles added.

Robles said Trillanes, who ran under the Genuine Opposition ticket, might maintain an office at the Senate building but only his staff will be there.

“Mr. Trillanes had said from the start that he will not use this (Senatorial bid) as a ticket out of detention,” Robles said.

Trillanes was not present during yesterday’s hearing as he was expecting visitors, said Robles.

In a recent interview at his detention cell, Trillanes said he will never leave behind his fellow accused, citing the tradition of solidarity among Navy and Marine soldiers and officers.

Trillanes is currently at the 11th rank in the ongoing canvassing of votes by the Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers. He and 12th placer Aquilino Pimentel III were excluded from Wednesday night’s proclamation of winners due to the uncanvassed votes from Lanao del Sur, Surigao del Norte, and Maguindanao.

Trillanes had expressed confidence of his victory, saying he got more than 11 million votes based on the copies of election returns and certificates of canvass they got.

During yesterday’s hearing, Robles asked the court to allow Trillanes to leave detention just in case the Comelec will proclaim today (Friday) his client as a winning candidate.

But Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 said Robles should wait for the Comelec’s declaration before making such motion.

Pimentel even said that it is not mandatory for a winning candidate to be physically present during the proclamation rites.

“Joker Arroyo did not attend,” the judge said.

Robles explained he was just making an early manifestation of his client’s intention to attend the proclamation ceremony because they are afraid there might be no sufficient time to ask the court’s approval.

But Robles was relieved to hear that the prosecution will not pose any objection should they file the said motion.

Should he win, Trillanes had said that he will not accept “pork barrel” intended for members of Congress since it will run counter to his advocacy against corruption.

Trillanes is in jail as he stands on trial for coup d’ etat charges at the Makati court and violation of the Articles of War before the General Court Martial as a result of his participation in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny./DMS