No to Selective Rule of Law! Nullify the Revocation of Amnesty of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV

We, concerned faculty members, staff, students and alumni of the National College of Public Administration and Governance and the University of the Philippines strongly condemn and oppose the selective application of the rule of law and the singling out of the opposition to the Duterte Administration. The recent revocation of the amnesty granted to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and the order for his arrest are illustrative of the blatant attempt by the Duterte administration to stifle dissent and suppress opposition.

This is just the latest in an increasingly long list of repulsive acts which not only targeted the opposition but also weakened and disregarded the independence of institutions and the sanctity of the checks and balances among the three branches of government. The latter includes the arrest and incarceration of Senator Leila de Lima on the basis of seemingly trumped-up charges (Legislature), the unseating of Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno based on constitutionally-infirmed grounds (Judiciary), the continuing insults on Vice-President Leni Robredo and other sinister efforts to undermine her position as the legitimate constitutional successor. These acts are dictatorship in progress.

The revocation and arrest order are also seeming diversionary moves to cover up for, or divert attention away from, the many issues and ‘failures’ of the Duterte administration, among which are:

Let us help in restoring the majesty of law and the nullification of the revocation of amnesty of Sen. Trillanes IV. We urge all Filipinos to rally behind our crusade for good governance.

We also commend the Senate of the Philippines for maintaining its independence and protecting the dignity of democratic institutions in the country.

Signatories:

Members of the Faculty