ShareThisPASAY CITY – Detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, despite being granted amnesty by President Aquino, may not be released yet.
Trillanes’ lawyer Reynaldo Robles said that the detained lawmaker still has to wait for the Senate ratification of the amnesty granted him by President Aquino.
Senator Trillanes
The concurrence of the Senate is needed before an amnesty is ratified in order that it will be implemented, he said.
President Aquino issued on Monday Proclamation No. 50 granting amnesty to soldiers linked to the Oakwood mutiny on July 27, 2003, the Marine standoff on Feb. 26, 2006 and the Manila Peninsula siege on Nov. 29, 2007.
However, Presidential Spokesman Atty. Edwin Lacierda said that the grant of amnesty only extinguishes the criminal liabilities, but not the civil liabilities of the respondents.
He noted that the grant of amnesty to Senator Trillanes coincided with the “session break” of the Senate.
Because of the Senate “session break”, Robles said, there’s still a need to wait for some time before the senator can be finally set free.