3 High-Profile Lawyers Decline to Defend Trillanes for his Sedition Case Over his ‘Kill Duterte’ Comments

A group of lawyers filed sedition charges against Senator Trillanes IV this Thursday, November 16, before the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office. This is after the Liberal Party (LP) ally senator urged the military to kill no less than President Rodrigo Duterte in his privilege speech last October 3. He also reacted on the cases filed against him.



“Kung makikita ito ng mga sundalo, M-60 ang gagamitin sa iyo kasi marami-rami ito. Mauubos yung magasin, kung 40 million yung hinahanap mo,” Sen. Trillanes said in his speech, as a response to a speech by President Duterte saying that anybody can shoot him if it could be proven that his lifetime savings exceeded P40 million.

“Trillanes not only repeatedly uttered seditious words or speeches and unabatedly circulated scurrilous libels against the President, which tend to disturb the public peace, but also repeatedly incited others to inflict any hate or revenge,” the complaint stated, asking the Pasay City prosecutors to launch a preliminary investigation against Trillanes.

“(This is) for irresponsibly and recklessly and continuously accusing sans evidence, that the President is keeping over P2 billion in bank accounts and or amassing illegally-acquired wealth,” The lawyers, led by Atty. Manuel Luna added. The group is also affiliated with the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC).

Trillanes, a staunch critic of the Duterte administration, has been accusing the President and his family of having bank transactions from 2016 to 2015 allegedly amounting to a total of P2 billion. According to him, President Duterte had no sufficient businesses to justify such huge sources of income. Nevertheless, he has no solid proof to support his claims.

In a statement also this Thursday, Sen. Trillanes said he will not let President Duterte’s “minions” distract him, and described the sedition case against him as a form of harassment. The opposition senator emphasized that nothing can stop him for exposing the alleged hidden wealth of the president. However, the senator has a slight problem.



According to our insider from the Senate, three high-profile lawyers have already declined the offer to defend Sen. Trillanes for his sedition case, despite the irresistible professional fee offer. Apparently, the soldier-turned politician has been looking for tough lawyers since last week when he learned that he might get sued for his ‘kill Duterte’ comments.

Contributed by Renato Pasayao