A Philippines court has issued arrest warrants against former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and 10 other people for conspiracy to commit sedition, the court confirmed.

The branch clerk of Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 138 confirmed today that the warrants had been issued by Judge Kristine Grace Suarez to all 11 charged in a case over the so-called Bikoy Ang Totoong Narcolist (The True Narcolist) videos.

The accused, including two priests, will be arraigned on Monday at 2 pm.

READ MORE: Trillanes, from mutiny to amnesty

As many as three people have posted bail at P10,000 (about NZ$310) each, said the clerk. The clerk refused to disclose their identities but two of those who posted bail were priests Flaviano Villanueva and Albert Alejo.

A copy of the warrants were also not provided.

Besides Trillanes, the 10 others charged are:

Peter Joemel Advincula, alias Bikoy
Fr Flaviano Villanueva
Fr Albert Alejo
Yoly Ong-Villanueva
Boom Enriquez
Jonnell Sanggalang
JM Saracho
Eduardo Acierto
Vicente Romano
A certain “Monique”

Last year, Advincula accused members of the opposition, as well as ranking figures in the Catholic Church and human rights lawyers, of conspiring to oust President Rodrigo Duterte through what he claimed was an operation code-named Project Sodoma, which involved producing and releasing the narcolist videos.

Robredo cleared
On Monday, February 10, the Department of Justice filed charges against Trillanes and 10 others over the Bikoy videos but cleared Vice-President Leni Robredo, senators Leila de Lima and Risa Hontiveros, former senator Bam Aquino, former Magdalo representative Gary Alejano, and Otso Diretso candidates Erin Tañada, Chel Diokno, and Florin Hilbay.

All complaints against human rights lawyers, bishops, and members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines were also dropped.

Trillanes, a fierce critic of Duterte, was first arrested under the Duterte administration on September 2018, when he was a sitting senator, for the charge of rebellion. This stemmed from Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572 which sought to revoke the amnesty granted to him in connection to the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

The opposition and human rights groups slammed the September 2018 arrest as part of the Duterte government’s crackdown on vocal critics.

Published under a Creative Commons licence.

• Bikoy vs Bikoy – the video tapes controversy

A team led by Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Rogelio Simon confirmed that the police served the arrest warrant on Trillanes yesterday for the charge of rebellion, hours after the document was released by Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 Executive Judge Elmo Alameda.

Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jose Balajadia told reporters that the police followed protocol. He said the National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar served the warrant on Trillanes.

READ MORE: Why the Senate backed Trillanes but not De Lima vs Duterte – by Camille Elemia

Eleazar said in an interview on ANC that Trillanes voluntarily went with the arresting team. The senator had earlier said he would not resist arrest providing police presented a the proper warrant.

Trillanes was brought to the Makati City Central Police Station for charging procedures.

He was then taken to Makati RTC Branch 150 to post the bail of P200,000 (NZ$5600). He was accompanied by fellow opposition senators Kiko Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, and Risa Hontiveros; as well as his Magdalo party colleagues.

The judge signed Trillanes’ release order before 5 pm.

Rebellion charge revived
The rebellion charge against Trillanes was revived after President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation No. 572, revoking an amnesty granted to the senator in connection to the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

Trillanes had questioned then Police Chief Ronald Del Rosa about extrajudicial killings in Duterte’s bloody, protracted war on drugs, and had also organised the testimony of former members of an alleged death squad that operated under the president while he was mayor of the city of Davao in the country’s south, reports CNN Philippines.

Another opposition senator, Leila de Lima, also a fierce critic of Duterte, has been detained in Camp Crame since February 2017, for drug charges.

Rambo Talabong is a journalist with the independent news website Rappler. Asia Pacific Report publishes under a Creative Commons licence.

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After visiting Senator Leila de Lima in jail, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that he will stop at nothing to make sure Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also serves time in prison.

“Hahabulin ko ‘tong si Duterte, the moment mawala na sya sa poder ng kapangyarihan, ipapakulong kita, hahabulin kita,” Trillanes said outside the custodial center of the Philippine National Police (PNP) where De Lima is detained over drug charges.

READ MORE: De Lima detained in Camp Crame

Aside from pushing for the investigation of the alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS), Trillanes is also accusing Duterte of having an undeclared wealth amounting to as much as P2.4 billion (NZ$66.4 million).

Trillanes said he is not at all unfazed by what happened to De Lima, who, like him, is a staunch critic of the Duterte administration.

“Ako ang susunod? Plano nga nila akong unahin e, pero sige – bring it on, do your worst,” Trillanes said.

(I’m next? I was supposed to be their first, but bring it on, do your worst.)

He added: “I am motivated more than ever, mas ginaganahan ako na iexpose itong pagkatao ni President Duterte na siya ay isang mandarambong at mamamatay tao, hindi ako titigil hangga’t hindi namumulat ang sambayanang Pilipino, talagang pananagutin natin siya, hahabulin at hahabulin ko siya, hindi ko siya titigilan.”

(I am motivated more than ever to expose the true character of Duterte, that he is a plunderer and a murderer. I will not stop until the Filipino people realise this. We will hold him accountable, I will run after him, I will not quit.)

‘Lascañas making them nervous’
Trillanes said the Senate will start hearing the testimonies of retired Davao cop SPO3 Arturo “Arthur” Lascañas on Thursday.

Lascañas is in the center of the scandal tagging Duterte in the vigilante group “Davao Death Squad” (DDS), accused of killing more than a thousand people in Davao City when Duterte was mayor.

The retired policeman denied the existence of the DDS last October 2016, calling Edgar Matobato a liar, but turned around on his word last week and divulged in some detail some of Duterte’s alleged kill orders, including broadcaster Jun Pala.

“Palagay ko diyan sila kinakabahan talaga e, nangangatog na mga tuhod ng mga ito dun sa hearing na gagawin sa Thursday,” Trillanes said.

(I think they’re nervous, their knees are shaking thinking of the hearing on Thursday.)

“Malalaman na ng mga kababayan natin kung anong klaseng tao, anong klaseng monster si President Duterte,” he added.

(Our countrymen will know just what kind of a person, a monster, President Duterte is.)

Encouraging dissent
Trillanes said that the administration failed in its attempt to scare off critics of the government.

“Heto sana yung ayaw nilang mangyari, kaya nga nila ginawa yung illegal arrest at persecution na ito para nga sana matakot ang mga kalaban ng administrasyon, kabaliktaran yung nangyari. Ang ordinaryong tao, lumalakas ang boses,” Trillanes said.

(This is what they didn’t want to happen, they orchestrated this illegal arrest and persecution to scare off the critics of the administration, but the opposite happened. The voices of the ordinary people are getting louder.)

According to Trillanes, De Lima also feels motivated despite being in prison.

“She’s in high spirits at hindi natitinag ang kanyang conviction, tuloy ang kanyang laban, inassure ko siya na lalong lumakas ang voices of dissent,” Trillanes said.

(She’s in high spirits, her conviction has not wavered. Her fight continues. I assured her that the voice of dissent has become louder.)

Rebellion charges
Trillanes was himself also jailed on rebellion charges, but managed to win as senator in 2007. He was granted amnesty in 2010 by former president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, which enabled him to legislate as a free man.

Trillanes said he gave some advice to De Lima on how to effectively perform her functions inside jail.

“She can file resolutions and bills, she can issue statements but she will not be allowed to vote and interpellate.

“I was allowed back then by President [Benigno] Aquino [III] to conduct a committee hearing inside prison, but I doubt it if President Duterte will allow her,” Trillanes said.

Lian Buan is a journalist with Rappler.

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