By Mario Casayuran The opposition Liberal Party (LP) on Tuesday stood by beleaguered Senator Antonio Trillanes IV by saying that Malacanang’s revocation of his amnesty granted during the Aquino administration is illegal. ‘’Instead of addressing the rice crisis now engulfing the nation, this government is more concerned with silencing its critics using illegal and unlawful methods, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, LP president, said. Sen. Kiko Pangilinan (via kikopangilinan.com | Manila Bulletin) ‘’We stand by Senator Trillanes, and will use all legal means to fight this illegal and abusive exercise of presidential power,’’ he said. Pangilinan said the revocation of the Proclamation granting amnesty to Trillanes is ‘’a clear persecution against one of the administration's toughest critics.’’ ‘’It has no justifiable basis and done to silence Senator Trillanes, who in the past has exposed to the public possible wrongdoings of the President,’’ he added. Pangilinan explained that Proclamation 75 that granted amnesty to the senator in 2010 was concurred in by Congress. ‘’It could not be easily set aside by the whims of one man,’’ he stressed. The LP chief stressed that the Constitution provides that an amnesty proclamation requires the concurrence of both Houses of Congress and ‘’therefore the said revocation requires our concurrence and is therefore not immediately executory.’’ ‘’Absent our concurrence any arrest is illegal. We urge the Armed Forces (AFP) and the PNP (Philippine National Police) not to enforce an illegal arrest,’’ he added.