THE Makati regional trial court on Tuesday afternoon reset to
March 6 today's scheduled arraignment of detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes, former
Scout Ranger regiment commander Brig. General Danilo Lim and 16 other Magdalo
members on rebellion charges filed by the Department of Justice in connection
with last November's Manila Peninsula Hotel standoff.
Judge Elmo Alameda granted the motion filed by Trillanes'
counsel Ernesto Francisco and a similar motion filed by the Philippine National
Police. Both Francisco and the PNP cited security reasons in asking for the
postponement.
The PNP said it had reliable intelligence reports of a
possible public uprising or movement organized by junior military officers of
the Armed Forces and other armed and militant groups aimed at overthrowing the
present administration. "'Without belaboring the obvious, the continuous
involvement of the accused relative to the various organized communal action
designed to overthrow the duly constituted administration poses a serious threat
should they come out in the open, not only to the lives of the accused but also
to the life and security of the court personnel, the security personnel who will
escort the accused to and from Camp Crame custodial center including the persons
who will attend the arraignment set on Wednesday," the PNP motion said.
Francisco said his clients actually fear that the Arroyo
administration might create a "scenario" involving them during their transport
from Camp Crame to justify the imposition of authoritarian measures.
The rescheduled arraignment will coincide with the next
hearing on the coup d'etat case of the Magdalo group arising from the 2003
Oakwood mutiny. Alameda said the arraignment will be held after the coup d'etat
hearing.
In his earlier decision throwing out the motion for
reconsideration filed by the respondents, Alameda said there is probable cause
to believe that when the accused-soldiers walked out of a Makati court where
their coup d'etat case was being heard last Nov. 29, they became "active
participants in their initial plan to commit the crime of rebellion against the
government."
Alameda said that while the accused may have failed in their objective to
overthrow the Arroyo government, it was not necessary for them to succeed to be
held liable. - Ashzel Hachero
