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Antonio Trillanes

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Fuentes and the surname or paternal family name is Trillanes.
The Honorable
Antonio Trillanes
Trillanes in 2015
Senator of the Philippines
In office
June 30, 2007 – June 30, 2019
Senate positions
Chair of the Philippine Senate Committee on National Defense and Security
In office
July 22, 2013 – July 25, 2016
Preceded byFrancis Escudero
Succeeded byGregorio Honasan
Chair of the Philippine Senate Committee on Civil Service and Government Reorganization
In office
July 26, 2010 – June 30, 2019
Preceded byPanfilo Lacson (Acting)
Succeeded byBong Revilla
Personal details
Born
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV

(1971-08-06) August 6, 1971 (age 53)
Caloocan, Rizal, Philippines
Political partyLiberal (2021–present)
Other political
affiliations		Magdalo
Nacionalista (2012–2019)[1]
UNO (2007–2012)
SpouseArlene G. Orejana–Trillanes
Children3
Residence(s)Caloocan, Metro Manila
Alma materPhilippine Military Academy (BA)
University of the Philippines Diliman (MA)
ProfessionSenator, professor, and former Philippine Navy lieutenant[2]
Signature
WebsiteOfficial Website
NicknameSonny
Military service
Allegiance Philippines
Branch/servicePhilippine Navy
Years of service1995–2003 (8 years)
RankLieutenant
Battles/warsCommunist rebellion in the Philippines
Moro conflict
Oakwood mutiny
YouTube information
Channel
Years active2015–present
Genre(s)Informative, fact-checking, news, vlogs
Subscribers24,100 (estimate)[3]
Total views1,680,006[3]
Last updated: October 12, 2021

Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV (Tagalog pronunciation: [ˈtriʎanɛs]; born August 6, 1971)[4] is a retired[5] Philippine Navy officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007 in protest against the Arroyo administration, and as a vocal critic of the Duterte administration.

He previously ran as a candidate for vice president in the 2016 Philippine presidential elections. After his term as senator, he became a full-time lecturer, teaching public policy at UP National College of Public Administration and Governance of University of the Philippines Diliman and at Ateneo de Manila University.[6]

Early life

Trillanes was born and raised in Caloocan to Navy Capt. Antonio Floranza Trillanes III of Ligao, Albay and Estelita Diaz Fuentes of Capiz. He has four siblings.[7]

Education

Trillanes initially attended the De La Salle University for a degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering in 1987. However, in 1991, he decided to enter the Philippine Military Academy,[8] where he graduated cum laude in 1995 with a Naval Systems Engineering degree.[8]

He received his masteral degree in Public Administration from the University of the Philippines Diliman.[8]

Military career

Trillanes is a recipient of an assortment of merit medals, campaign ribbons and badges totaling 23.[9][7][10]

Oakwood Mutiny

Main article: Oakwood mutiny

In 2003, Trillanes, then a Lieutenant Senior Grade, along with Army Capt. Gerardo Gambala, led 321 junior officers and enlisted men[11] of the Armed Forces in a mutiny against the Arroyo administration. Calling themselves the "Bagong Katipuneros" (lit. 'New Katipuneros') but tagged by the press as the Magdalo group, the soldiers occupied the Oakwood Premier Ayala Center (now Ascott Makati), a serviced apartment tower in Makati, to protest the alleged corruption of the administration.[12]

The mutiny was unsuccessful, lasting only 18 hours. Trillanes and his men were charged in a general court martial. He was detained for nearly seven and a half years.[13]

Manila Peninsula siege

Main article: Manila Peninsula siege

On November 29, 2007, Trillanes, Brigadier Gen. Danilo Lim, and 25 others charged in relation to the Oakwood mutiny, walked out of their trial and marched in Makati towards the Manila Peninsula Hotel. They seized control of the hotel, which is just a few blocks away from the location of their earlier mutiny. There, they called for the ousting of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. They were joined by former vice president Teofisto Guingona Jr., who called for a "new EDSA."

The attempted coup was over by 5:10 p.m., however, when government soldiers broke through the hotel. Trillanes and Lim surrendered, reasoning their doing so "to avoid loss of lives."[14] The siege lasted for six hours.[15]

Trillanes and his cohorts were arrested by the Philippine National Police and were sent to Camp Bagong Diwa. Among the arrested were journalists from various networks. Defense secretary Gilberto Teodoro defended the journalists' arrests, claiming the officers "didn't know the journalists and may have mistook them as renegade soldiers." The journalists were released soon after.[16]

Political career

Senate

First term (2007-2013)

See also: 2007 Philippine Senate election

Trillanes filed his candicacy for the 2007 senatorial elections as an independent candidate. Later, however, he accepted an invitation from the Genuine Opposition as one of its guest candidates fielded against the Arroyo administration's bets. His bid was successful, and he was proclaimed senator-elect by the COMELEC. He was the youngest senator to hold the office since Benigno Aquino, Jr., a record he would later share with Bam Aquino in 2013.

On July 23, 2007, Trillanes filed a motion with the Makati RTC that would allow him to fulfill his senatorial duties while under detention, and allow him to attend the SONA. His plea was denied.[17] In response, former UP president Francisco Nemenzo Jr. and Teofisto Guingona launched the "Let Trillanes Serve Movement."[18]

On October 17, 2007, the Supreme Court, in an en banc resolution, directed the Armed Forces and Makati RTC Judge Oscar Pimentel to comment within 10 days on Trillanes' petition.[19] However, these requests were later overshadowed by Trillanes' involvement in the Manila Peninsula siege.

On December 20, 2010, Trillanes was temporarily released. He was later granted amnesty by President Benigno Aquino III.[7][20]

Second term (2013-2019)

Trillanes ran again for a second term, filing his candicacy for the 2013 senatorial elections. Running under the Nacionalista Party, he again won, garnering over 14 million votes.[21] Trillanes was one of the most productive senators in the 17th Congress, producing 232 bills in 2018, despite being only present for 52 session days.[22][23]

2016 vice presidential campaign

Main article: Grace Poe presidential campaign, 2016

Trillanes declared his intention to run for higher office as vice president in the 2016 national elections.[24] Running with no president, he endorsed the presidential bid of Grace Poe.[25]

His campaign was marked by a controversy involving the several paid negative campaign ads against Rodrigo Duterte, including a video showing him dropping the finger.[26] Described as "black propaganda," Duterte's running mate Alan Peter Cayetano filed a petition to the Taguig RTC to stop the airing of the ads for 72 hours. The petition was granted by court using a TRO.[27]

Trillanes eventually lost the heavily contested race to Leni Robredo, after garnering more than 800,000 votes.

2022 Senate bid

On October 8, 2022, Trillanes filed his candidacy for senator in the 2022 senatorial election running under the Liberal Party.[28] Trillanes failed his comeback bid to the Senate after he placed 21st in the official results.[29]

Criticism and controversies

Rivalry against Duterte

Before the 2016 election, he alleged that former Davao City Mayor and incumbent president Rodrigo Duterte had an account in the Julia Vargas branch of BPI (allegedly Php 2.2 B) according to him.[30][31] Duterte, later on, confirmed the existence of the alleged bank accounts,[32] but he never signed a waiver to dispute the alleged billions of pesos contained therein.[33]

Likewise President Duterte, alleges that Trillanes closed his accounts in DBS Bank days before going to Singapore and then showed that there were no such accounts. This became a source of polemics in social media such as Twitter and Facebook.[34] However, DBS Bank disputed this and clarified that account closures cannot be done online.[35]

Since then, Trillanes has become a rival of Duterte. Duterte's common law wife, Honeylet Avancena, defended Duterte against Trillanes' controversies.[36]

In an attempt to silence Trillanes's exposés against President Duterte, his administration has filed and revived at least 14 cases against Trillanes.[37] On July 19, 2019, the PNP–Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed charges against Trillanes and other members of the opposition for "sedition, cyber libel, libel, estafa, harboring a criminal, and obstruction of justice".[38][39][40] On February 10, 2020, Trillanes and 10 others were indicted for "conspiracy to commit sedition" over an alleged ouster plot against President Rodrigo Duterte.[41][42][43]

Revocation of amnesty by President Duterte

On August 31, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 572, revoking Trillanes's amnesty.[44][45] Duterte ordered the Department of Justice and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to review all criminal cases in relation to the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and 2007 Peninsula siege.[44] Shortly after that, Trillanes told to the reporters that he would not evade the case and he also told to Duterte that he is not afraid of him.[46] The amnesty (Proclamation No 50) was granted by then-President Benigno Aquino III and later issued Proclamation 75 superseding Proclamation no. 50 back in 2010.[46]

On September 7, the DOJ filed the application for an arrest and hold departure against Trillanes and it was signed at Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 by Acting Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon as "very urgent".[47]

Opposition politicians expressed condemnation over the revocation of the amnesty: Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano, who also led the mutiny with Trillanes,[48] calls it "political persecution" of Duterte's critics and he also slammed Duterte for what was called a "clear act of revenge" against Trillanes.[49] Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin called the revocation "highly preposterous" and "clearly a political vendetta."[49] On September 7, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said in an interview that the decision against Trillanes is similar to the case of Senator Leila de Lima, who was detained for allegedly violating the drug trafficking law almost a year and a half ago.[50][51] Supporters of Trillanes gathered outside the Senate and held a vigil.[52] Duterte severely lambasted Trillanes by describing the latter as "corrupt" and accused him of "abandoning" the military for his personal interests.[53]

On October 22, The Regional Trial Court in Makati denied the government's petition to have Trillanes arrested, saying the coup d'état case against the senator was already dismissed on September 21, 2011, and that the dismissal was "final and executory".[54]

Personal life

Trillanes is married to Arlene G. Orejana, a PMA graduate. They had three children. However, one died just 21 days after birth.[8]

In February 2020, Trillanes launched his vlog TRx: Trillanes Explains, where he discusses pressing issues and releases exposés coursed through his social media accounts.[55] He also revealed on his vlog that he was diagnosed with COVID-19 in August 2020; he was able to recover from the disease.[56]

References

  1. ^ "With Nacionalista absent, LP comes rushing to Trillanes' side |". September 5, 2018.
  2. ^ Official Facebook Page of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV. "Antonio Sonny Trillanes IV Basic Info". Facebook. Retrieved February 21, 2013. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  3. ^ a b "About Sonny Trillanes". YouTube.
  4. ^ senate.gov.ph. "Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV". Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  5. ^ Merueñas, Mark (October 13, 2010). "Trillanes camp: Amnesty won't set bad precedent". GMA News. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  6. ^ Dizon, Nikko (October 17, 2019). "Sonny Trillanes embraces life as a teacher". ANCX. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Who is Antonio Trillanes IV?". GMA News Online. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  8. ^ a b c d "8 things to know about Antonio Trillanes IV". Rappler. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  9. ^ Senate of the Philippines' Official Website. "Senator Antonio "Sonny" F. Trillanes IV Biography". Archived from the original on March 6, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  10. ^ "Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV". GMA News Online. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  11. ^ "Who is Antonio Trillanes IV?". GMA News. GMA Network. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  12. ^ "magdalo.org, Magdalo History". Archived from the original on March 10, 2013. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  13. ^ People's Tonight. "P-Noy supports Trillanes!". Archived from the original on October 28, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2013.
  14. ^ "GMA News, Trillanes, Lim decide to call it quits – report". Gmanews.tv. November 29, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  15. ^ GMA News, 'It's over,' says Barias of hotel standoff Archived March 17, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ "17 of 50 journalists rounded up from The Pen released". Gmanews.tv. November 29, 2007. Retrieved November 29, 2011.
  17. ^ "GMA NEWS.TV, Makati court junks Trillanes plea to attend Senate sessions". GMA News. July 30, 2007. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  18. ^ "'Let Trillanes Serve Movement' launched". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 18, 2011. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  19. ^ "AFP, judge told to answer Trillanes's bid to exercise duties". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
  20. ^ "Makati court grants Trillanes temporary release". GMA News. Retrieved December 21, 2010.
  21. ^ " Official tally of votes for the 2013 senatorial race". Rappler. Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  22. ^ Torres, Sherrie Ann (June 7, 2018). "Trillanes has most number of bills filed despite poor Senate attendance". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2018. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  23. ^ "Trillanes most productive na senador" [Trillanes is the most productive senator]. Philstar.com (in Filipino). Archived from the original on May 6, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  24. ^ JDS GMA news. " Trillanes to run for higher office in 2016". GMA News. Retrieved May 3, 2015.
  25. ^ "Trillanes announces VP run, supports Poe's presidential bid". GMA News. Retrieved October 4, 2015.
  26. ^ Ranada, Pia (May 6, 2016). "Anti-Duterte ad by Trillanes riles up Duterte supporters". Rappler. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  27. ^ Macas, Trisha (May 6, 2016). "Taguig RTC issues TRO vs anti-Duterte ad". GMA News. Retrieved May 7, 2016.
  28. ^ Punzalan, Jamaine. "Trillanes seeks Senate comeback, files candidacy". ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  29. ^ "Trillanes, Magdalo group accept defeat in May 2022 polls". ABS-CBN News. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
  30. ^ "Trillanes, Duterte lawyer show up at BPI-Julia Vargas".
  31. ^ "Ang Network Marketing Scam…". The Philippine Star.
  32. ^ "Duterte confirms existence of BPI accounts". CNN Philippines.
  33. ^ "Duterte won't sign waivers on his bank accounts, says chief legal counsel". The Manila Times.
  34. ^ "Duterte: Trillanes closed SG account online days before trip". GMA News.
  35. ^ "DBS Bank says account closures can't be done online". Interaksyon.
  36. ^ "If Duterte orders killings, why is Trillanes still alive? – Honeylet". Rappler.
  37. ^ Buan, Lian (February 18, 2020). "With 14 cases, Trillanes awaits fate for non-bailable kidnapping". Rappler. Retrieved January 30, 2021.
  38. ^ "Robredo, ilang taga-oposisyon kinasuhan ng PNP-CIDG ukol sa 'Bikoy' videos". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog).
  39. ^ "Sedition raps: Solons, bishop hit 'stupid' PNP". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  40. ^ "Trillanes blasts sedition charges against opposition figures". ABS-CBN News. "The filing of cases against key members of the opposition are clear acts of political persecution and harassment by the Duterte administration meant to stifle democratic dissent," Trillanes said in a statement.... ..."Anu't-ano pa man, haharapin ko ito at gagamitin kong pagkakataon na mailabas ang kaugnayan ni Duterte sa ilegal na droga," Trillanes said."The filing of cases against key members of the opposition are clear acts of political persecution and harassment by the Duterte administration meant to stifle democratic dissent," Trillanes said in a statement. "Anu't-ano pa man, haharapin ko ito at gagamitin kong pagkakataon na mailabas ang kaugnayan ni Duterte sa ilegal na droga," Trillanes said. (Whatever happens, I will face this and take this opportunity to prove Duterte's links to illegal drug operations.)
  41. ^ "DOJ clears Robredo, indicts Trillanes and 10 others for 'conspiracy to commit sedition'". GMA News. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  42. ^ "DOJ clears Robredo, charges Trillanes in sedition case". Rappler. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  43. ^ "Trillanes, Bikoy face sedition raps for linking Duterte to drug trade". ABS-CBN News. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 10, 2020.
  44. ^ a b "Duterte revokes Trillanes' amnesty 'effective immediately'". Rappler. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  45. ^ "Calida inquiry triggered review of Trillanes amnesty requirements —AFP spokesperson". GMA News.
  46. ^ a b "Trillanes vows to face arrest: 'Mr Duterte, hindi ako takot sa iyo'". Rappler. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  47. ^ "DOJ seeks Trillanes warrant in another court". Rappler. Retrieved September 8, 2018.
  48. ^ "Gary Alejano, mutineer and ex-Marine, leads impeach bid vs Duterte". Rappler. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  49. ^ a b "Revocation of Trillanes' amnesty 'clear act of revenge' – Alejano". Rappler. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  50. ^ Reformina, Ina (February 23, 2017). "De Lima ordered arrested by RTC". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 23, 2017.
  51. ^ "Arrest order vs Trillanes 'very similar' to De Lima, says ex-SolGen". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  52. ^ "Taga-suporta ni Trillanes, patuloy ang vigil sa labas ng Senado". ABS-CBN News (in Tagalog).
  53. ^ "Duterte pounces on Trillanes: 'Corrupt,' 'abandoned military'". ABS-CBN News. September 8, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  54. ^ "Court junking of Trillanes arrest a 'huge political slap' to Duterte gov't- NUPL". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
  55. ^ Esguerra, Darryl John (February 19, 2020). "From senator to vlogger: Trillanes launches 'TRx' vlog". Philippine Daily Inquirer.
  56. ^ My COVID Story #TRx EPISODE 6 (in Filipino). Sonny Trillanes. November 23, 2020.
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