The Supreme Court has upheld the validity of the amnesty granted to former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and ruled that the proclamation issued in 2018 by former President Rodrigo Duterte revoking it was unconstitutional.
Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh, who wrote the decision, said Duterte could not rescind an amnesty grant without concurrence from Congress.
According to a statement released by the SC Public Information Office on Wednesday evening, the high tribunal grounded its ruling on the primacy of the Bill of Rights and reaffirmed that neither the government nor any of its officials are above the law.
President Benigno Aquino III granted amnesty to Trillanes and other military and police rebels and their supporters who were jailed for their roles in the July 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Standoff, and the November 2007 Manila Peninsula incident.
Duterte however tried to overturn the amnesty grant through Proclamation No. 572, arguing that Trillanes failed to officially apply for amnesty.
In its decision, the SC ruled that Duterte’s decree violated Trillanes’ constitutional rights because the cases against him have been dismissed with finality.
The tribunal also affirmed the findings of the Court of Appeals and the Makati Regional Court that Trillanes complied with all theconditions set under Proclamation 75, particularly the filing of an official amnesty application form and by expressly admitting his guilt.
“The Executive’s decision to revoke only Trillanes’ amnesty, notwithstanding the fact that the application forms of all the other amnesty grantees could similarly no longer be located, constituted a breach of his right to the equal protection of the laws,” the SC ruled.
The ruling also affirmed that “in balancing the exercise of presidential prerogatives and the protection of the citizens’ rights, the Constitution and the laws remain as the Court’s anchor andrudder.”
Meanwhile, Trillanes on Thursday thanked the Supreme Court for its decision.
“Maraming salamat po sa Supreme Court sa pagbasura ng Amnesty revocation ni Duterte nung 2018,” Trillanes said in a tweet on X.
Trillanes, a critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte, also blasted the previous administration’s officials for trying to silence the opposition.
The ex-Navy officer faced rebellion and coup d’etat charges for leading rebel officers in a mutiny against then-President Gloria Arroyo over alleged corruption and mismanagement in her administration.
Former senator Leila de Lima hailed the SC decision as “a victory for judicial probity.”
De Lima, who was jailed on alleged drug charges during the time of former President Duterte, also criticized the former administration’s handling of the opposition.
“Duterte’s revocation of the amnesty proclamation was clearly politically motivated, another manifestation of the former President’s shameless vengeful dispositions,” De Lima said in a tweet.
