DND officials tell Makati court they have no copies of Trillanes amnesty documents

October 5, 2018

Officials of the Department of National Defense told the Makati City Regional Trial Court, Branch 148 on Friday there are no records or documents on deliberations, as well as amnesty application forms of 277 individuals, including Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

During the hearing on the coup d’ etat case of Trillanes, Norman Daanoy, chief of the Department of National Defense legal affairs said: "There are no records of any documents on amnesty applications pursuant to Proclamation 75."

"All records are missing?” Reynaldo Robles, counsel for Trillanes, asked and Daanoy replied in the affirmative.

The DND Legal Affairs Office submitted a letter dated Sept. 21, 2018 to the Department of Justice stating that based on records, there are no available documents, transcript of stenographic notes and minutes of deliberation related to the proclamation.

Proclamation 75 granted amnesty to Trillanes and several others during the time of President Benigno Aquino III.

But President Rodrigo Durterte issued Proclamation 572 revoking the amnesty given to Trillanes for not complying with basic requirements of submitting an application form and admitting guilt in the two coups d'etat against then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

Arlene Manjares, chief of the records division of the Department of National Defense, said there are no existing records of the 277 amnesty application forms in her office.

Last week, the Makati Regional Trial Court, Branch 148, deferred issuing an arrest warrant and hold departure order for Trillanes, unlike another branch but scheduled hearings. DMS