A GROUP of lawyers are set to file inciting to sedition and other criminal charges against Sen. Antonio F. Trillanes IV on Thursday over his speeches and other remarks that “undermined” the government.
The lawyers, led by former House members Jacinto Paras and Glenn Chong, announced that they would be filing a complaint against the lawmaker for inciting to sedition, conspiracy to commit coup d’etat and other offenses before the Pasay City prosecutor’s office.
The group’s counsel Manuelito Luna said Trillanes should be held liable for such criminal offenses based on statements he made against President Duterte in his privilege speech in the Senate on October 3 and his speech during the launch of the Tindig Pilipinas movement on October 14 involving Duterte’s alleged account deposits.
Other complainants include lawyers Nasser Marohomsalic, Nestor Ifurung, Eligio Mallari and Doy Bringas; Bantay Demokrasya and Kilusang Pagbabago-Sulu.
Luna said the speeches made by Trillanes, including his privilege speech in the Senate, are not protected by immunity from suits.
“The October 3 privilege speech against the President and the government is not protected speech under the Speech or Debate Clause, in light of the holdings in US v. Brewster and Heltoski v. US. Neither was his speech during the launching of Tindig Pilipinas’s signature gathering against the President nor his media statements is protected,” Luna stressed.
In the said privilege speech, Trillanes accused Duterte of having had bank accounts with transactions amounting to over P2 billion from September 2006 to December 2015.
The senator also alleged that the administration bought false information from “financial forensic expert” Daniel Cruz involving his supposed offshore accounts in a bank in Singapore for P10 million to destroy his credibility.
In his speech during the Tindig Pilipinas launch, Trillanes announced several details of the supposed bank deposits of the President.
He claimed that one of the alleged accounts had deposits of P50 million at least 13 times.
The lawmaker also said that, in another bank account, there were at least 20 deposits of P40 million to P50 million each.
Trillanes further insinuated that Duterte bought in just one day insurance for his four children worth P80 million.
Luna said that the senator’s acts of rumor-mongering and spreading false information were unlawful and tantamount to such criminal offenses that are punishable under the law.
1 comment
your should go after your loco president before you go after the small dogs