Trillanes amnesty had congressional concurrence, any arrest sans Senate, House illegal – Pangilinan

September 4, 2018

Instead of addressing the rice crisis now engulfing the nation, this government is more concerned with silencing its critics using illegal and unlawful methods.

We stand by Sen. Trillanes, and will use all legal means to fight this illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power.

The revocation of the Proclamation granting amnesty to Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is a clear persecution against one of the administration’s toughest critics.

It has no justifiable basis and done to silence Sen. Trillanes, who in the past has exposed to the public possible wrongdoings of the President.

Proclamation 75 that granted amnesty to the senator in 2010 was concurred in by Congress. It could not be easily set aside by the whims of one man.

The Constitution provides that an amnesty proclamation requires the concurrence of both Houses of Congress and therefore the said revocation requires our concurrence and is therefore not immediately executory.

Absent our concurrence any arrest is illegal. We urge the Armed Forces and the PNP not to enforce an illegal arrest.

Imbes na solusyunan ang krisis sa bigas na nagpapalubog sa bansa, mas pinagtutuunan ng pansin ng gobyerno ang pagpapatahimik sa mga kritiko nito gamit ang mga pamamaraang iligal at labag sa batas.

Sinusuportahan namin si Sen. Trillanes, at gagawin namin ang lahat ng paraang ligal para labanan itong iligal at abusadong pagpapatupad ng kapangyarihan ng pagkapangulo.

Ang pagpapawalang-bisa sa Proklamasyon na nagbigay ng amnesty kay Senator Antonio Trillanes IV ay malinaw na pag-uusig laban sa isa sa pinakamatitinding kritiko ng administrasyon.

Wala itong makatuwirang basehan at ginawa para patahimikin si Sen. Trillanes, na dati pang nagsisiwalat sa publiko ng mga posibleng pagkakamali ng Pangulo.

Ang Proclamation 75 na naggawad ng amnesty sa senador noong 2010 ay inaprubahan ng Kongreso. Hindi ito basta-basta maisasantabi ng kapritso ng iisang tao.

Sabi ng Saligang Batas, kailangan ng concurrence ng dalawang Houses of Congress ang anumang amnesty proclamation at ang pagsasantabi nito ay nangangailangan din ng aming concurrence, kaya ito ay hindi agad pwedeng ipatupad.

Kung walang concurrence namin, iligal ito. Hinihimok namin ang Sandatahang Lakas at ang PNP: huwag patuparin ang iligal na arrest.

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*President Aquino issued Proclamation 75, which amended Proclamation 50, received last November 25, 2010. This was concurred by the Senate in December 7, 2010 via Senate Resolution 4