Fact checks on public officials

FALSE: Duterte orders Trillanes’ imprisonment

Rappler.com

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FALSE: Duterte orders Trillanes’ imprisonment
Duterte has not ordered former senator Antonio Trillanes IV's arrest. Trillanes’ rebellion case was dismissed in the Court of Appeals on March 1 but the president has not commented on the CA ruling.
FALSE: Duterte orders Trillanes’ imprisonment
At a glance:
  • Claim: President Rodrigo Duterte confirms that he will have former senator Antonio Trillanes IV imprisoned again. 
  • Rating: FALSE
  • The facts: Duterte has not ordered former senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s arrest. Trillanes’ rebellion case was dismissed in the Court of Appeals (CA) on March 1 but the president has not commented on the CA ruling.
  • Why we fact-checked this: The Youtube video with this claim on the channel “PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS” has 38,848 views as of writing. 
Complete details:

On April 15, Youtube channel “PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS” posted a video with titled “PRES [Rodrigo] DUTERTE , KUMPIR MADONG MULING IPAPAKULONG si TRILLANES – NETIZENS DOJ [Department of Justice] GUEVARA.” (President [Rodrigo] Duterte confirms he will have Trillanes imprisoned – netizens, DOJ [Department of Justice], Guevara.)

The video with this claim has 38,848 views as of writing. 

This claim is false. 

Duterte has not ordered former senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s arrest and Trillanes’ rebellion case was dismissed in the Court of Appeals (CA) on March 1.

On September 4, 2018, Duterte signed Proclamation 572, which declared Trillanes’ amnesty “void ab initio.” The CA decision upheld the legality of the president’s proclamation.

Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda then reopened Trillanes’ rebellion trial on September 25, 2018, saying that the former senator failed to present documents substantiating the claim that he filed for amnesty. 

In March, however, the Court of Appeals closed the rebellion case against Trillanes, ruling that Alameda committed grave abuse of discretion in reopening the trial. Duterte has not commented on the CA decision.

Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Menardo Guevarra, however, said it would be premature for Trillanes to celebrate the CA decision, as “the battle is certainly far from over,” and the decision still “opens a number of legal options to the government.” Guevarra did not mention imprisonment.

Trillanes has also posted bail for other cases against him. He posted bail in February 2020 for one count of conspiracy to commit sedition before the Quezon City Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) Branch 138. He has also posted bail at least 4 times over libel cases filed against him by the president’s son and Davao City 1st District representative Paolo Duterte. – Therese Litonjua/Rappler.com

Therese Litonjua is a Rappler intern. This fact check has been reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s internship program here.

Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one fact check at a time.

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