Duterte’s plan for retrial of senator over failed coups ‘could split Philippine military’
Analyst suggests Philippine Armed Forces are divided over support for Antonio Trillanes, who has hidden in his office since president ordered his arrest and court martial for attempts to overthrow a previous government
President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to arrest Philippine opposition senator Antonio Trillanes and try him in a military court for crimes he has already been pardoned for could split the military, a defence and security analyst warned.
“The military will split” if Duterte pushes the Armed Forces of the Philippines to court martial Trillanes for taking over the upscale Oakwood hotel in 2003 and the Manila Peninsula hotel in 2007, said military historian Jose Antonio Custodio.
Custodio, who once worked in the military’s planning office, said if Duterte forces the issue, “there would be factions which would agree with him and factions which would not agree with him”, as well as a “faction that is not necessarily pro-Trillanes but pro-institution”.
He noted there is “some hostility toward Trillanes” among his seniors because they feel he disrespected his former superior, Armed Forces chief Angelo Reyes, during a Senate hearing. However, Trillanes still has support from his Philippine Military Academy batch and younger soldiers.
“The government should actually back off, but it seems to want to proceed. If it proceeds,” Custodio said, “[It] will have to deal with military instability.”
