JUSTICE Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra on Monday directed the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to let opposition Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV leave the country as long as there is no hold departure order (HDO) issued by any court against him.
Guevarra issued the statement after the Regional Trial Court in Davao City Branch 54 directed Trillanes to comment within five days on the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) motion to issue an HDO against him for libel.
The DOJ sought the issuance of an HDO after the same branch issued four arrest warrants against the senator on December 7 over four counts of libel filed by former Davao City vice mayor and presidential son Paolo Duterte and presidential son-in-law Manases Carpio in September.
The senator has also been ordered to post bail of P24,000 for each count.
Meanwhile, Trillanes immediately posted bail on Monday through the Office of the Clerk of Court , Regional Trial Court, Pasay City, which led to the lifting and setting aside of the warrants of arrest.
“My instruction to the Bureau of Immigration is clear: If there is no HDO issued by any court, let Sen. Trillanes travel abroad,” Guevarra said in a text message.
“The matter of getting the Davao court’s permission to travel is between Sen. Trillanes and the court. If he travels without court permission, that is his own lookout,” the DOJ chief added.
Trillanes is scheduled to travel to the Netherlands, Spain and United Kingdom from December 11, 2018 to January 12, 2019 to attend various meetings and activities.
He will also go to the United States from January 27 to February 10, 2019.
The libel complaints filed against Trillanes stemmed from his accusations that Duterte and Carpio demanded money from ride-sharing companies, particularly Uber.
Trillanes also accused the two of being involved in illegal drugs and smuggling activities.
Meanwhile, Guevarra also dismissed Trillanes’s claim that the country’s justice system is “topsy-turvy” under the present administration.
“He says justice is working if it favors him, but not working if it does not favor him,” Guevarra stressed.