Trillanes hit for claiming judges, prosecutors swayed in libel case

DAVAO CITY -- Members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) here cried foul on the statement of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV saying judges and prosecutors have been influenced by Presidential Son and former vice mayor Paolo Duterte in the latter's libel case against the senator.

Former IBP Eastern Mindanao governor Caesar Europa decried Trillanes’ insinuation that the judges in the city are beholden to the Duterte family.

"Mr. Trillanes should talk to his lawyers before opening his big mouth because the venue is jurisdictional in criminal cases, especially in libel by reason of the provisions of Article 360 of the Revised Penal Code," Europa said on Thursday.

Europa said the city’s fair, impartial, and independent judiciary enjoys the confidence of Davaoeños.

"I call upon the members of the bar in Davao City to defend our judges from this unfair, unjust and undeserved insult to the judicial integrity of Davao City’s judiciary," he said.

IBP Davao City chapter president Rogelio Largo said the independence of judges and prosecutors in the city is beyond question as they owe their allegiance to the Constitution.

"Judges and prosecutors in Davao City are impervious to all kinds of pressures," Largo said.

For former Regional State Prosecutor Antonio Arellano, Trillanes' "baseless accusation dishonors the persons and integrity of our justice officials."

"Accusations must always be based on evidence. This is a basic rule of law principle which a Senator worth his post is supposed to know," Arellano said.

He said Trillanes may refuse to comply with lawful orders at his peril.

Trillanes earlier received a subpoena for a libel case filed by Paolo and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio over the senator's accusation that the two tried to extort money relating to the franchise application of Uber.

According to Trillanes, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board in Region 7 (LTFRB-7) Director Ahmed Cuison conspired with Paolo and Carpio in an extortion scheme relating to Uber's franchise application.

Trillanes did not offer any evidence for his claim.

When Paolo and Carpio sued him for the malicious claim, however, Trillanes questioned the filing of the libel case in Davao City when the incident supposedly happened in Cebu City.

Trillanes was quoted in media reports as saying that the complainants filed the case in Davao City to gain undue influence. The senator noted that judges and prosecutors in Davao City receive special allowances from the local government.

The Presidential Son, in an earlier statement, advised the senator to stop issuing baseless accusations if he doesn't want to face charges.

 "He should take responsibility and learn to man up and stop crying like a brat," Paolo said. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)