NCRPO gets Trillanes warrant

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has started coordinating with the Senate leadership after it secured a copy of the arrest warrant issued by a Davao City court for libel case against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

NCRPO chief Director Guillermo Eleazar said coordination with the Senate leadership is a logical police action out of respect to the institution, as well, as the legal issue on whether or not any member of the Congress could be arrested during session for cases with less than six years of imprisonment.

“We received the copy of the arrest warrant yesterday (Saturday),” Eleazar said.

The arrest warrant stemmed from the libel charges filed by President Duterte’s son, Paolo, who opted to resign as Davao City vice mayor over the allegations of Trillanes linking him to the smuggling of hundreds of kilos of shabu.

The younger Duterte, it was recalled, denied the allegation and described Trillanes’ allegation as part of the effort to attack his father.

“We coordinated with the Senate out of respect to the institution to where Senator Trillanes belongs,” said Eleazar.

Trillanes was not in the Senate when the NCRPO personnel coordinated with the Senate’s sergeant-at-arms.

It was recalled that when a Makati City judge issued an arrest warrant against Trillanes for the revival of the rebellion case against him, the NCRPO had coursed all the communications to the Senate leadership, which turned over the senator to the police.

Trillanes was then holed up in the Senate premises. He returned to the Senate after posting bail and only went home when another Makati City judge ruled in his favor on the revival of the separate coup d’etat case against him in connection with the Oakwood mutiny.

Eleazar acknowledged that any member of both the House and the Senate enjoy immunity from arrest during session if the case he or she is facing is punishable with less than six years of imprisonment.

Libel case has a penalty of six months to four years imprisonment.

Eleazar, however, said that he is confident that everything will be settled on Monday as he expects the camp of Trillanes to post bail.

The Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 54 has set ₱24,000 bail for Trillanes.

He added that they also expect Trillanes to honor his word that he would coordinate with the NCRPO with regard to the libel case he was facing, noting that there are legal procedures that must be followed by the police every time that the PNP would be tasked by the court to arrest someone.

Trillanes, it was learned, could post bail in any court in Metro Manila.

Trillanes has been a vocal critic of President Duterte even during the campaign period for the 2016 presidential elections.