CIDG files kidnap rap vs Trillanes

MANILA, Philippines —The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) yesterday filed a kidnapping with serious illegal detention complaint before the Department of Justice (DOJ) against former senator Antonio Trillanes IV – along with two Church officials and a lawyer – less than a week before the preliminary investigation of the sedition case filed against him.

A three-page complaint, dated Aug. 15 and signed by Police Lt. Col. Domingo Soriano, stated that Trillanes, Fr. Albert Alejo, a certain Sister Ling and lawyer Jude Josue Sabio had allegedly illegally detained Davao-based businesswoman Guillermina Lalic Barrido, 43, of Davao del Norte back in 2016.

Soriano said that Barrido’s signed sworn statement is their evidence to prove the allegations against Trillanes, Alejo, Ling and Sabio, along with 13 copies of the phone screenshots showing the alleged exchange of text messages between Barrido, Trillanes and the other three accused.

Barrido said in her statement, dated Aug. 5 that Trillanes, Alejo, Ling and Sabio allegedly detained and treated her like a prisoner at the Convent of the Cannussian Sisters in Makati City when she was fetched from General Santos City last Dec. 6, 2016.

Although the “Convent of the Cannussian Sisters” is the one written on the actual complaint, it does not seem to exist. However, there is an order named the “Canossian Daughters of Charity” which is located in Paco, Manila. It is unclear if this was the location Barrido meant to indicate.

She said that she was transferred to the Holy Spirit Convent in Quezon City – three days after she was detained at the convent in Makati – when Ling allegedly berated her after she responded “ambot sa ilaha,” which means, “I don’t know with them” when asked about President Duterte’s alleged involvement with illegal drugs.

“They placed me inside the convent and prevented me from leaving,” she said in Filipino.

While at the Holy Spirit, Barrido said that Trillanes allegedly called her on several occasions, when she was allegedly told that she will not be freed until she signed an affidavit testifying against Duterte.

“It is clear from the foregoing that herein respondents feloniously, maliciously and intentionally put the complainant under detention for 14 days in order to force her to do something against her will,” Soriano said.

Trillanes denied the allegations as he emphasized that he does not know Barrido and he did not meet her.

“Where in the world can you find a priest and a nun with me in kidnapping, in which she (Barrido) was supposedly detained in a convent?” Trillanes said in a statement.

The former senator believes that this is another “clear harassment case” to silence the critics of Duterte, which PNP spokesman PBGen. Bernard Banac denies.

“It cannot be any form of harassment as former senator Trillanes claims it to be. If at all he feels harassed by this valid accusation, he has every right under the law to face his accuser, and to avail of legal remedies guaranteed by law to protect himself from any perceived injustice,” Banac said in a statement.

Trillanes recalled that Barrido was one of those who offered information against Duterte.

“Her story was full of holes and, apparently, was asking for money in exchange for her testimony. So, she was not accepted as a witness,” he said.

Trillanes added that when Barrido was not given money, she turned the tables against him.

Sabio also echoed Trillanes’ statement, saying that Barrido had volunteered to testify against Duterte as she allegedly saw the illegal drug activities of the President and his son, Congressman Paolo Duterte, in Davao City.

He said that he believed in Barrido as she seemed to be telling the truth, and was surprised when she allegedly held a press conference in Davao City in February 2017, saying she was allegedly bribed to testify against Duterte. Romina Cabrera, Paolo Romero