De Lima confirms President Aquino's order to review case vs. Trillanes

MANILA, July 19 (PNA) - Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila De Lima confirmed on Monday that President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III has ordered her to conduct a review of the charges filed against detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Trillanes is facing rebellion and coup d'etat charges in connection with the failed Oakwood Mutiny on July 27, 2003 and the short-lived takeover of Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City on Nov. 29, 2007.

"There's an instruction to me to review the coup d'etat charges against Senator Trillanes in order to determine if there is still a legal option and if the procedure is proper," De Lima said in a radio interview.

However, De Lima clarified that the order of the President is not an interference of the judicial system as the instruction was directed to the DOJ, specifically to her.

Some senators claimed that the President's order, as far the case of Trillanes is concerned, is an interference in the country's judicial processes.

On the other hand, the camp of Trillanes was elated on the order of President Aquino to the DOJ.

"We're not expecting that everybody will be happy in the statement of P-Noy (President Aquino) to study the case of Senator Trillanes," Atty. Reynaldo Robles, spokesman of the detained lawmaker said.

According to Robles, Senator Trillanes has been detained for almost seven years now because of the coup d'etat and rebellion charges he is facing.

"We think that P-Noy is not interfering in the case. His (P-Noy) directive was for DOJ Secretary De Lima. She was ordered to study the case. This cannot be considered as interference," Robles stressed. (PNA)