Court allows Trillanes to go abroad for speaking engagements

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 6:20 p.m.) — The Makati court on Thursday granted Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s plea to leave the country for speaking engagements in the United States and Europe in the next months.

Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 granted the senator’s plea to temporarily lift the hold departure order against him to attend various engagements from Dec. 11, 2018 to Jan. 12, 2019, and from Jan. 27 to Feb. 10, 2019.

"[T]he hold departure order dated September 25 issued against [Sen.] Trillanes in relation to this case...is temporarily lifted," the court said.

"Upon his return, Sen. Trillanes is directed to file a Manifestation attaching therewith machine copy of the page of his passport with the corresponding stamp mark of the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation indicating the date of his departure and return to the country," the order read.

Trillanes’ camp said that they received “invitations from different groups” to attend various activities in Amsterdam, Barcelona and London from December 11 to January 12 next year.

He also cited an invitation to deliver a lecture on “Democracy and the Rule of Law in the Philippines” at the Universeit Van Amsterdam on Dec. 13, 2019, as part of the university’s “Asia Updates” series.

The senator would also be traveling to California, Washington D.C., and Maryland in the US from January 27 to February 10 next year.

Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda earlier issued a warrant of arrest and travel ban against Trillanes, after it ruled that the Proclamation 571—that declared his amnesty void from the beginning—has factual basis.

The ruling, dated September 25, essentially revived the rebellion case against the senator over his engagement in the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

Trillanes not a flight risk

The court noted that Trillanes participated in the Court’s hearings for the government’s motion for the issuance of arrest warrant and travel ban. 

It also noted that the senator, upon the issuance of the warrant, “voluntarily went with the arresting police officers” to the police station and posted bail.

“His past actions demonstrate his willingness to abide with the conditions imposed for his provisional liberty specifically his appearance before this court when required and do what the court may require him,” Alameda said.

The court held: “As a senator with a national constituency, his travel abroad may broaden his outlook of the problem of the country which he may use on proposing bills which he may use in proposing bills which is the core of Congress’ lawmaking.”

“Taking therefore into account the previous conduct demonstrated by Sen. Trillanes and the purpose of his travel coupled with the fact that he is not considered a flight risk, the court is persuaded to grant his request to travel abroad upon posting a travel bond in the amount of P200,000,” it added.