Officials of the Department of National Defense testified on Friday before the Makati City Regional Trial Court, Branch 148, that there are no records of documents relating to deliberations, as well as amnesty application forms of 277 individuals including Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
During the hearing on the coup d’ etat case of Trillanes, witness lawyer Norman Daanoy, Chief Legal Affairs of the Department of National Defense, said that there were no records of all deliberations on 277 amnesty applications and minutes of the proceedings regarding Proclamation 75.
“There are no records of any documents on amnesty applications pursuant to Proclamation 75,” Daanoy said.
“All records are missing?,” lawyer Reynaldo Robles, counsel for Trillanes asked, to which Daanoy replied in affirmative.
The DND Legal Affairs Office has submitted a letter dated Sept. 21, 2018 to the Department of Justice stating that based on records, there are no available documents, transcript of stenographic notes and minutes of deliberation related to the proclamation.
Proclamation 75 granted amnesty to Trillanes and several others. However, Proclamation 572 revoked the amnesty given to Trillanes for allegedly not complying with the basic requirements of submitting an application form and admitting guilt.
Arlene Manjares, Chief Records Division of the Department of National Defense, added that even in her office, there are no existing records of the 277 amnesty application forms.
Manjares, who became chief of the Records Division in 2014, said she checked all the records in her office even those before she became its head.
“I only searched our office, your Honor, other offices have their own records custodian,” Manjares said, when asked if she asked other offices if they have in their custody a copy of the 277 amnesty application for Proclamation 75.