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Manila: Detained young officer and elected Senator Antonio Trillanes told two courts in Makati City that he would no longer participate in his trial for the 2003 failed coup against President Gloria Arroyo.
Trillanes also refused to enter a plea for his alleged involvement in another failed coup on November 29 last year.
"I refuse to participate any further in this travesty of justice, just as the administration of President Gloria Arroyo has lost all moral authority to render any judgment over me and my companions," Trillanes said. "After much reflection, I decided to forego my testimony."
Brigadier General Danilo Lim, who joined Trillanes in the brief siege of the Manila Peninsula on November 29, did not also enter his plea.
The incarcerated soldiers who belong to the Magdalo group, a right-wing rebel outfit, did the same thing about their alleged participation in the failed coup last year. The court was heavily guarded as Trillanes and companions arrived for the hearing of the twin cases.
Peaceful surrender
They were arraigned for their participation in the November 29 coup plot. At the time, Trillanes and his group walked out of the court that was hearing the 2003 coup plot case. They took over the Manila Peninsula Hotel where they called on the people to withdraw support for the government. They surrendered peacefully after seven hours.
On July 27, 2003, Trillanes led some 300 young officers and enlisted men who briefly took over the posh Oakwood Hotel in Makati City.
- With inputs from Rafael Juan, Correspondent
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