Trillanes seeks dismissal of kidnapping case
MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday called on the Department of Justice to dismiss the kidnapping complaint against him for allegedly detaining Davao-based businesswoman Guillermina Lalic Barrido in 2016, saying he only met her in 2019.
Trillanes also questioned the credibility of Barrido, also known as Guillerma Arcillas, on whose affidavit the Philippine National Police based its complaint.
"The very evidence presented by Ms. Barrido, as well as other testimonies and evidence on record clearly and indubitably show and prove that Ms. Barrido repeatedly lied and/or made material misrepresentations in her claims and/or allegations in her affidavit and/or her sworn statement, and is unfit to be a witness," his counter-affidavit read.
The PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on August 30 filed a kidnapping with serious illegal detention complaint against Trillanes and three other respondents before the Department of Justice.
In a three-page complaint dated August 15, Trillanes, father Albert Alejo, a certain Sister Ling, and lawyer Jude Josue Sabio were alleged to have illegally detained Barrido in 2016.
But Trillanes says that "until I accidentally saw her at the DOJ Compound sometime on September 5, 2019, I have never met or even seen Ms. Barrido in person, and I have never talked to or spoken with her, whether by phone or in person."
Accuser's credibility questioned
Trillanes, referring to Barrido, said that "apart from admittedly consorting with drug lords and being publicly known to be a drug-user, our accuser has been shown to be lying on a material matter, apart from apparently being, through her own confessions under oath, a remorseless serial liar and perjurer of the truth."
He also pointed out that in photographs that Barrido provided as supposed proof of the kidnapping, "in almost all the said pictures, Ms. Barrido and [her] companions were all smiling and seemingly enjoying themselves."
"Obviously, these are not the normal, usual or expected images and demeanor of a person who is supposedly being 'detained' against her will or is being 'kidnapped', unless Ms. Barrido can genuinely claim that she was happy to be detained."
Barrido said in a statement dated August 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 in December 2016.
The “Convent of the Cannussian Sisters” named in the CIDG complaint does not exist. However, there is an order named the “Canossian Daughters of Charity” in Manila.
Barrido also figured in other prominent legal cases involving government officials or agencies.
In relation to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency's monitoring in 2010 of local government officials' involvement in the illegal drug trade, Barrido claimed she knew of a PDEA agent who protected Joavan Fernandez, son of former Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez.
More recently in the sedition complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo and 37 others, Barrido and Perfecto Tagalog accused Trillanes of involvement in the false accusations against President Rodrigo Duterte.
They also claimed Trillanes urged them to speak out against the president.
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