Putschist rapped also for kidnap

Bad conduct Coup leader Antonio Trillanes IV is again on course for more legal problems after abduction charges were filed against him and his disciples. AFP

Coup plotter and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV now faces a more serious criminal complaint based on an alleged abducted trader who narrated an alleged modus similar to the botched “Ang Totoong Narcolist” video series, featuring Peter Joemel Advincula alias “Bikoy.”

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) filed a case for kidnapping with serious illegal detention against Trillanes and his pawn, lawyer Jude Sabio.

Sabio was the lawyer who filed a “crime against humanity” complaint with the International Criminal Court at The Hague against President Rodrigo Duterte based on figures of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) that were lumped together by Trillanes from reports of yellow media outlets.

Aside from Sabio and Trillanes, also sought to be indicted were Jesuit priest Fr. Albert Alejo, a certain Sister Ling of the Convent of Cannussian Sisters in Makati City and other John and Jane Does who allegedly held trader Guillerma Lalic Barrido, alias Guillermina Arcillas, to sign an affidavit detailing allegations against Mr. Duterte.

The document linking the President to illegal drugs and other crimes should have been part of a destabilization plot against Mr. Duterte.

In a four-page complaint filed before the Department of Justice (DoJ), Police Lt. Col. Domingo D. Soriano of the PNP-CIDG Major Crimes Investigation Unit said the Davao City-based Barrido personally appeared at the CIDG office to complain.

The PNP-CIDG alleged Trillanes and company violated Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC) for kidnapping and serious illegal detention from 6 December 2016 up to 21 December 2016 in an incident that started from the Convent of Cannussian Sisters until she was transferred to the Holy Spirit Convent three days after “to force her to sign a ready-made affidavit to allegedly destroy the reputation of the present administration of President Duterte.”

“It is clear from the foregoing that herein respondents feloniously, maliciously and intentionally put the complainant under detention for 14 days to force her to do something against her will,” the complaint-affidavit read.

Soriano said Barrido executed an affidavit dated 7 April 2017, which implicated Trillanes and his cohorts in creating a propaganda scenario to discredit and destroy the reputation of the Chief Executive.

The said affidavit contains allegations against Mr. Duterte with several crimes such as murder, corruption, the existence of the Davao Death Squad and his involvement in illegal drugs.

They were then ordered to post the propaganda material in social media by a certain “Myra.”

He said the demolition job was later allegedly participated in by the group of Trillanes that includes Fr. Alejo and Atty. Sabio until the latter part of 2016.

Sometime in 2019, “Bikoy” surfaced and filed a complaint for inciting to sedition against certain personalities that include some of the respondents.

Soriano said with “Bikoy” surfacing, Barrido volunteered the said affidavit to form part of the complaint of Advincula to bolster his claim that indeed it became a modus operandi of the same group in getting people and using them in social video to discredit the government.

“In fact, the affidavit executed by Guillermina Barrida, which was executed earlier than the complaint of Peter Joemel Advincula alias ‘Bikoy,’ has an impression of similar modus operandi to incite sedition,” Soriano said.

Respondents feloniously, maliciously and intentionally put the complainant under detention for 14 days to force her to do something against her will.

“Furthermore, Guillermina Lalic Barrida also manifested her intention to file a complaint for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code for Kidnapping with Serious Illegal Detention as contained in her affidavit under item number 81 and 82. As a consequence, Guillermina Lalic Barrida personally appeared before the office of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Major Crimes Investigation Unit to file a former complaint against herein respondents,” he added.

Trillanes vehemently denied the charges, saying to the contrary it was Barrido who volunteered to testify against Mr. Duterte in exchange for money.