"I don't know the facts of the case yet but there are some legal quarters expressing uncertainty or doubt on that", Panelo said. 


If the presidential pardons are found invalid, Panelo said Trillanes can be sent back to jail. "I'll go over the case. Then, I'll give you my proper response," Panelo told reporters.


"Anything that is not the law can be a precedent. It is always in the context of the law. So if (Aquino) issued a defective amnesty then it is invalid. But I don't know the facts of the case (yet)," Panelo said.


Panelo added the review was not meant to persecute anybody but only the prosecution of law breakers.


"We are not in the business of persecuting people. We are in the business of prosecuting people who violate the law and as the President says, it is his duty to protect and serve the people," Panelo said.


Trillanes and other calling themselves Magdalo soldiers were placed in military detention for their involvement in the two attempts to overthrow then President Gloria Arroyo. Other top military officials involved in the mutinous plots are former Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda.


In September 2010 a group composed of prominent individuals issued a full-page advertisement urging Aquino to grant amnesty to the Magdalo soldiers.


The group asked President Aquino to "grant amnesty to the active and former officers and enlisted personnel" of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) "who stood against the previous administration."


Among the signatories were former president Joseph Estrada, former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona Jr., former Senate Presidents Jovito Salonga and Ernesto Maceda, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former House Speaker Jose de Venecia and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.


Prior to the publication of the joint statement, then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima submitted to Aquino her evaluation on the mutiny cases that involved Trillanes.


"(Trillanes) was imprisoned because of Oakwood. My opinion is, and that is just my individual opinion, the fiscal should not have let that case prosper. There are several other cases but the coup d'etat case has specific requirements, which were not present. I think there was injustice there," Aquino said.

<h3>
Trillanes the profiler
</h3>

Panelo added that Trillanes profiled President Duterte in 2015 merely to "invent lies" based on Trillanes statement in a television interview that he "profiled" Duterte in 2015, or a year before the May 9, 2016 national elections. 
"Perhaps, he (Trillanes) profiled how to plant lies against the President," Panelo said.


Trillanes claimed that based on the information he has accumulated, Duterte was not qualified to assume the presidency because of the numerous killings that Trillanes claimed the President had ordered.


"Let's just say that as early as mid-2015, when we profiled President Duterte, I found out all of these things, that he has killed people, he has ordered people killed, innocent people, then that he has amassed wealth," Trillanes said. 
"That's the information that I have and that basically disqualifies him to run this country. That's why the country is in a mess right now because we have a president (who) is unfit to hold office," he claimed.


Trillanes earlier presented former Davao City chief of police SO3 Arturo Lascañas in a media briefing to reverse his earlier testimonies made before the Senate by accusing Duterte of being behind vigilante killings in Davao City when he was the mayor. 


Duterte dismissed as mere lies the allegations of Trillanes. 

<h3>
Retaliatory moves?
</h3>

Trillanes, meanwhile, said he is out to prove Mr. Duterte is mass murderer when self-confessed hitman Lascañas appears before Senate probers on Monday to spill the beans on what he knows about the President's involvement in alleged extrajudicial killings.


"I expect him to implicate President Duterte in several murders and other incidents that happened in Davao City and he will tell so much more, you'll have to understand that I can't divulge that information," he said in a television interview.


"I will prove it (that he's a murderer) on Monday," Trillanes said.


"Taking out a mass murderer and plunderer as President of your country that's a good thing and it should be a proud moment for country to rectify the mistake made during the last elections," he said.


The senator said that it's only logical to assume that the revelations against the President will eventually lead to possible impeachment proceedings, given the seriousness of the allegations being hurled at him.


"But first and foremost, we need to inform the public about the true character of President Duterte. That's the kind of president you have. Then what happens after should be left to them," he said.


Considering that he has been incessant in his tirades against the President, it is only to be expected that the administration will take retaliatory action against him even after he steps down from the Senate in 2019, Trillanes said.


"Well I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to the day that the stressful life of being obliged to carry the burdens of your country to be over. But for as long as I'm still a senator, I'll keep on forging forward. But to be honest, I don't feel that he would last that long. It's just a gut feel," he said.


"There are no plots to overthrow him via coup d'état or anything. I just feel that such a President would not last long," Trillanes said.


Trillanes said he was no longer surprised when he learned Mr. Duterte admitted knowing Lascañas, as a denial could invite more trouble for him.


Trillanes said it can easily be deduced that Malacañang is now in mad scramble in trying to downplay the significance of the revelations of Lascañas, described as the most powerful policeman in Davao City and admitted of being once a leader of DDS.


Trillanes described as flimsy excuse Duterte's claims that giving money to policemen, when he was still Davao City mayor in every command conference was to finance legitimate drug buy-bust operations but not as payment to kill drug suspects.


"Palusot (Excuses)," the senator commented. 

<h3>
Ethics case no big deal
</h3>

Trillanes also downplayed the ethics case filed against him saying that it's just mere political harassment employed by the administration.


"That's part of the political harassment and political intimidation, they are hoping that I would back off and that the senators would use this as a leverage against me," the senator said noting that one of the issues being raised against him was that on the alleged receipt of bribery of two Court of Appeals (CA) justices.


Trillanes alleged sometime in April 2015 that the two CA justices, who he did not name, supposedly received P25 million each in exchange for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of a suspension order of then Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin "Junjun" Binay Jr.


"But I know my place. I may be perceived as a some sort of a lone wolf but senators or those within the Senate, they know me. They know where I'm coming from and they know how passionate and motivated I can be in pursuing my job and they respect that. This allegation has no basis at all. I made that allegation as part of a Senate resolution and that's part of my job," Trillanes said.


"And the other allegation is that I called President Duterte murderer, well I have two witnesses who could attest to that. So it's just part of a political harassment," he said.


Trillanes said he's ready to face and answer the charges as his colleagues are expected to resolve the complaint against him.


"They have to. They have to go through the process. They should vote on it in terms of sufficiency in form and substance," he added.

<h3>
Coup a thing of past
</h3>

The hierarchy of Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) gave all-out support to Mr. Duterte after the succeeding events that happened last week in commemoration of the Edsa People Power revolt. 


Appearing before the weekly Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum, Brig. General Restituto Padilla Jr. AFP spokesman said there is no threat to oust Mr. Duterte despite the protests against his war on drugs.


The Catholic Church also led last week a street march dubbed as "walk of life" denouncing the extrajudicial killings prior to the Edsa people power protest timed with the arrest of Senator Leila De Lima, who is a staunch critic of Mr. Duterte employing the judiciary way. Then followed by caucus of the rival Liberal party.


Padilla said that the military saw and never doubted the sincerity of Mr. Duterte in uplifting the life of the Filipinos and his support for the soldiers particularly those who were killed or wounded during clashes.
"Its rare for a president whose schedule is so tight to find time out of his hectic schedule in visiting wounded and dead soldiers in their wake" Padilla said.

<h3>
Let Noy visit Leila
</h3>

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa does not see any problem with the planned visit of former President Aquino to de Lima who is currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.
In an interview by Camp Crame reporters yesterday, dela Rosa said that anybody welcomed by de Lima as visitor can see her at the detention facility subject to existing rules of the PNP-Headquarters Support Service (HSS).


"I don't think there will be a problem, anybody can visit provided that the senator also wants the person to enter...to visit her and with the clearance of the concerned senator the HSS will decide," he added.
Aquino earlier expressed plans to visit de Lima in Camp Crame where the Liberal Party senator was ordered detained due to drug-related charges.


However, dela Rosa said that as of yesterday he has yet to see any letter request regarding Aquino's visit.
The chief PNP stressed that he is tasking HSS director Chief Supt. Philip Phillips to attend to the matter just in case.


"I have not received a letter request but anyway I leave it to the HSS director based on their existing rules and regulations," said Dela Rosa.


The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) last Friday formally served the warrant of arrest against de Lima issued by a Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in connection with the illegal drugs charges leveled against her. 


De Lima served as justice secretary during the time of Aquino and was at the forefront in the filing of plunder charges against then incumbent opposition Senators Juan Ponce-Enrile, Ramon Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada.
Ironically, de Lima is now reunited with Revilla and Estrada who remained under detention at the PNP-Custodial Center.


Aside from De Lima, Judge Juanita Guerrero of the Muntinlupa City Regional trial Court Branch 204 also issued warrants of arrest against De Lima's former driver-lover Ronnie Dayan and former National Bureau of Investigation deputy director Rafael Ragos.


Dayan is now detained at the Muntinlupa City police detention while Ragos was placed under the custody of the NBI. 



Sources: 

<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Trillanes amnesty up for Palace review by Angie M. Rosales, Mario J. Mallari, and Pat C. Santos, March 2, 2017, <a href="https://goo.gl/NuK4dP" target="_blank" class="news_link" title="Source">The Daily Tribune</a>
</li>
</ol>


(This article is adapted from the source listed above. We are unable to grant permission for any kind of reproduction other than social media shares.)

Pardon granted to Trillanes by Aquino up for review - the senator could go back to jail