According to Trillanes, a former member of the AFP, “The situation in Mindanao, as well as other security threats, demands a larger force from our military. However, budgetary concerns continue to become a challenge in supporting the pension and retirement needs of the military retirees.”

The proposed measure under Senate Bill No. 1473, seeks to establish a new system for the recruitment of enlisted personnel, who shall be called Provisional Enlisted Personnel.

An additional 20,000 PEP will be recruited who shall only serve a tour of duty of 5 years. They will undergo the same training and receive the same salary as that of their equivalent Regular Enlisted Personnel. After their tour of duty, in cognizance of their contribution, those who will not be reenlisted as Regular EP will be entitled to training and educational benefits, and will be given priority in hiring in the Civil Service, particularly in the law enforcement services and related agencies.

To resolve the budgetary concern brought about by the current pension system in the military, membership in the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will be compulsory for the PEP and those PEP who will be absorbed later in the regular force, thereby creating a new and separate pension system for them to be managed by the GSIS. The current retirees and active personnel of the AFP will still retain their old pension system.

“I am pushing for this measure to allow the armed forces to increase and strengthen its standing force while providing a long-term solution to the looming military pension crisis. More importantly, it hopes to address our security needs at this time,” Trillanes further added.#

In the resolution issued by the Ombudsman, it did not find probable cause for Treason and Espionage, and there was no evidence to prove that there was conspiracy between the Aquino and Trillanes as alleged by the complainants.

On May 6, 2016, Gen. Roberto T. Lastimoso, Dr. Enrico Sampang, Judge Moslemen T. Macarambon, former Congressman Ronald Adamat and Dr. Dioscoro Esteban, Jr. filed a complaint against the two for violation of Articles 114, Treason, and 117, Espionage, of the Revised Penal Code.

The complainants questioned the backchannel negotiations done by Trillanes, who acted under the authority of Aquino as then president, with the Chinese representatives in connection with the standoff in the Scarborough Shoal. They alleged that Trillanes meddled in the country’s foreign affairs and placed our national security at risk by muddling the issues and peddling misinformation.

In dismissing the Treason and Espionage allegations, the Ombudsman noted: “Treason is a war crime. It is not an all-time offense…While there is peace, there are no traitors. There must be actual hostilities…Backchannel negotiations with China cannot be construed as ‘giving aid to enemy.’”

According to the Ombudsman: “As a result of the intense stand-off in April and May 2012 between Chinese and Philippines vessels in the Scarborough Shoal, Pres. Aquino’s action of exploring means of peacefully settling the on-going issue with China was for the interest of the Philippines. It is an inherent presidential power to pursue negotiations with other States. On the other hand, Sen. Trillanes merely acted under Pres. Aquino’s instruction to negotiate with Chinese representatives in order to ease the escalating tension between the two States.”

“The aggressive posturing of China was made known as earlv as Mav 23, 2011 when it was reported that…military garrisons and outposts are located in six reefs that are part of the Kalayaan Island Group. The back channel negotiation between Sen. Trillanes and Chinese representatives commenced only in May 2012. The alleged hostilities and aggression in the West Philippine Sea could not, therefore, be attributed to the backchannel discussions between Sen. Trillanes and the Chinese representatives,” the decision further explained.

Reacting on the Ombudsman’s decision, opposition Senator Trillanes said: “The decision proves our point from the very start that the case was merely filed to harass and tarnish my reputation. This is what happens when your political opponents start to believe their own propaganda. But no matter how they twist the facts, in the end, the truth will always come out.”#