You can call it misplaced, lost, or it never existed but controversial personalities close to the previous administration seem to have a penchant for not having copies of their important documents. Sereno’s downfall stemmed from her “missing” SALNs and now we have Trillanes who have already admitted that he does not have a copy of his application form for amnesty. In both cases, the concerned government agency did not have a copy of the documents in question.
The lingering question – will Trillanes suffer the same fate as that of Sereno where he will lose his freedom because of a piece of paper? Let me be clear about the importance and the implications of the application for amnesty.
The application for amnesty is the first step towards the admittance of Trillanes of his wrongdoings against the Arroyo administration. It is an act of admittance of guilt on his part. You can only provide amnesty to someone who have willingly admitted his or her guilt over the crime committed. Hence, part of the application form is a signed affidavit that Trillanes is admitting and is remorseful over the crimes he committed with his Oakwood Mutiny and Manila Peninsula Siege. It is in written form to make sure that his guilt over his crime and the application are properly documented.
The application form also commences a lawful process. Amnesty is not given to just anyone. It goes through a legal process of application and evaluation before it is granted to the recipient. Those who wish to be granted amnesty need to apply for it and, with that said, it requires an application form. It is not something where you simply raise your hand. It needs to be properly documented because it is a legal process.
The absence of an application form has a huge implication against the PNoy administration. Without that written document as proof, it will show the complete disregard of the previous administration of Philippine laws. Now that Trillanes’ lawyers have confirmed that they do not have a copy of the application form and the government agency stating the same, it puts former President PNoy in a precarious situation after he confirmed that Trillanes applied for amnesty. The presentation of the actual form will put the issue at rest and embarass President Duterte. But its absence puts the previous administration in a questionable situation whether their action was within the bounds of the law.
Trillanes’ statements that it is not his problem if his application form for amnesty is missing are words from a desperate man who was cornered in his own burrow. It is his problem because what’s in question is his amnesty. The legality as to the process by which it was obtained is in question hence it is his reaponsibility that, as a law abiding citizen, he was able to comply with all the requirements that was asked of him. He has to prove that he complied with the basic requirements for the granting of his amnesty.
Trillanes cannot go around and claim that he misplaced his copies. These kind of documents are the type where you file and safekeep. You don’t let papers of this importance lie around the house, especially if it concerns your freedom. I have my own legal documents that I have diligently filed on my own for reference. Trillanes’ lawyers should have their own file at hand. Besides, misplacing documents was already used as an alibi by Sereno. It would be unusual to make a similar claim.
The accusation is simple – Trillanes did not comply with the legal process for his amnesty that renders his amnesty void. The government does not have a copy of his application for amnesty and, in the same way, he does not also have a copy to show. His grandstanding of showing off when the news broke out with his “coverage” when he applied was a futile attempt to try to prove something that probably was not even there. Gaya ng nabasa ko, having a selfie with an enrollment form does not mean that I am already enrolled. The only way that he could prove this is for Trillanes to make sure – na maipakita niya ang dokumento.
Otherwise, he is just a fugitive of the law.
adobongpinoy 