In the report “CA junks Trillanes rebellion case revived by Makati judge,” (3/3/21), we found this interesting bit of information: “Mr. Duterte said in his proclamation revoking Trillanes’ amnesty that it was void from the start as the former senator failed to submit an application form and refused to admit his guilt in the crimes committed, making him ineligible for it.”
That presidential rant is said to have kept the door open for another prosecution against former senator Antonio Trillanes IV for the same rebellion charge, observers noted. Kung magtanim ng galit si Mr. Duterte, sobra talagang napakalalim! Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead! Detained Sen. Leila de Lima knows that only too well.
Mr. Duterte often, horror of horrors, shoots from the hip, we get that. But we expect better from his legal advisers, especially his justice secretary (a bar topnotcher kuno) or the solicitor general (a bar… never mind). Hasn’t any one of them or their underlings ever thought how UTTERLY IDIOTIC it was to let Mr. Duterte declare Trillanes’ previous amnesty void simply because the former senator could no longer produce his “application form” for amnesty? Did that grant of amnesty just happen in a vacuum?
Common sense lang po: Can a certificate of naturalization granted to a Chinese man be declared void if he could not produce his petition for naturalization filed, heard, and decided so many decades ago? The “rule of law” demands that official acts of government be given the presumption of “regularity.” Passports are presumed valid without any need for the holder to bring his application for it around. C’mon, people, enough of the nonsense!
Rey C. Escobar,rc_esco@yahoo.com