Rody not interested in arresting Trillanes
DAVAO CITY – President Duterte said he is not interested in having Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV arrested.
Trillanes has been holed up at his office in the Senate for more than a week to avoid be- ing arrested after his amnesty was voided through President Duterte’s Proclamation 572.
“I am not interested to arrest him. Nobody is interested to arrest him,” the President said
at a press briefing last night at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office operations center in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. The President said Trillanes could stay at the Senate as long as he wants.
The President said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is also not interested in arresting the senator as it has not constituted the court martial to hear the case of Trillanes.
Duterte said as Trillanes’ case is already with the civilian courts, let the case proceed as it should.
Trillanes was advised to scrap his plan of leaving the Senate after he was warned of a possible attempt to arrest him once he steps out.
In a hastily called press briefing outside his office last night, Trillanes said that there were two incidents since last Wednesday night that indicated to him that he would be arrested on sight.
He said that his driver was sent out for an errand last Wednesday night and noticed a man on board a motorcycle following him.
The following day, shortly after he held a press briefing to announce his plan to go out of the Senate, Trillanes said his driver once again drove out with his vehicle to fill up on fuel and just like Wednesday night, saw a motorcycle-riding man following him.
Trillanes said that there was also an augmentation of the members of the Philippine National Police detailed outside the Senate after he announced his plan of going out.
“It was reported to us that when suddenly it was reported in media (that I will go out), there was an augmentation (of troops) and when I go out, they will stop me from going back in,” Trillanes said.
“A few hours ago, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) arresting units warned us that I will be arrested. The decision is to remain here at the Senate for as long as there is no categorical statement from the AFP that they will not arrest me by virtue of that proclamation and any court martial charge. So it is more prudent to stay here,” he added.
Trillanes said that it was upon the advice of his lawyers that he decided not to allow himself to be arrested because doing so would have an impact on his current case.
“I was advised by my lawyers because it will affect our petitions because what we are questioning now is the issuance of a warrant. If I will be arrested then that will be moot and academic, therefore the question would now be on the illegal arrest,” Trillanes said.
“This only shows that you can’t trust the word of Mr. Duterte,” Trillanes said.
Legal heavyweights will argue Trillanes’ case before the Supreme Court and the Makati City regional trial courts (RTCs) regarding President Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572 voiding the amnesty granted to him in 2011. Trillanes maintained the voiding of his amnesty is illegal and the cases filed before the Makati RTCs related to this are part of political harassment.
“I have talked to some of the best legal minds in the country who are willing to stand for the rule of law. They believe that if this illegal act would not be corrected, our country’s democracy would be in peril,” the senator said.
Among the lawyers who will represent Trillanes are former University of the Philippines College of Law dean Pacifico Agabin, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay, law professor Joselito Chan and Trillanes’ chief legal counsel Reynaldo Robles.