Government defers legal move to transfer Trillanes, et. al. to Bilibid

By Ronron
December 6, 2007

The government is deferring its legal move to seek the transfer of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and other members of the so-called “November 29 family” from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, Quezon City to the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City.

State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco told reporters in Camp Crame Thursday afternoon that they are withholding the filing of a motion before the Makati City Regional Trial Court for the change in detention cell of the accused out of judicial courtesy to the court.

Velasco had earlier said that they will file said motion on Wednesday upon the initiative of the Department of Interior and Local Government and the PNP.

But it did materialize as they awaited the raffling of the complaint for rebellion, which happened early Thursday afternoon. The case, which covers Trillanes, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, Bishop Julio Labayan, and 32 others, was assigned to Makati City RTC Branch 150 presided by Judge Elmo Alameda.

“We are giving the court an elbow room so it can study better the case… We will defer our action to file the motion for transfer out of judicial courtesy,” Velasco said.

“We will wait for the result of the judicial determination of a probable cause, if the court will issue an arrest warrant for the accused or call for a preliminary investigation,” he added.

Velasco said that under the law, the court has 10 days to resolve a complaint upon receipt.

The government had said that it opts to detain the 36 of the at least 52 accused inside the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) for security and economic reasons, although it assures that they are still presumed innocent even if the NBP is a facility for convicted criminals mostly serving life sentences.

Trillanes and others were charged with rebellion for calling for the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo while holed up at the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City with armed elements last November 29./DMS