Duterte cancels amnesty for Trillanes, orders senator’s arrest

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) personnel arrived in the Senate premises yesterday to arrest Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who has decided to stay within the building and fight what he called a “warrantless arrest.”

“This is a warrantless arrest. Maliwanag yan. Yung arresting officers sa baba ay walang warrant. We’re living basically in a de facto martial law environment of the 70s kind,” he said.

The Department of Justice, however, asked the Makati Regional Trial Court Tuesday afternoon to issue an alias warrant of arrest and a hold departure order against Trillanes in connection with the coup d’ etat charge filed against the former Navy officer in court.

Around 15 CIDG personnel arrived at the Senate at 10 a.m. yesterday shortly after a copy of Proclamation 572, which revoked the amnesty granted to Trillanes, was released to the media.

Proclamation 572, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on Aug. 31, ordered the arrest of Trillanes and the filing of criminal and administrative charges against him for his role in the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 and two other uprisings against former President, now House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Trillanes, in a press conference Tuesday afternoon at the 6th floor hallway fronting the office of Senate President Vicente Sotto III, said Sotto has assured him that no arrest will happen while he is inside.

He said he has decided not to voluntarily surrender “until my lawyers will file the necessary petitions before the Supreme Court to resolve itong kalokohan na ‘to ni (President Rodrigo) Duterte.”

He was joined in the press conference by Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sens. Risa Hontiveros and Paolo Benigno Aquino IV.

The CIDG team had been positioned at the main entrance to the Senate since 10 a.m. but had not been allowed to proceed inside the building.

As of 2:30 p.m. Tuesday, Trillanes had returned to his office at the 5th floor of the Senate building.