(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte said he would wait for the judicial process to proceed regarding the case of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, and would want the proper issuance of the arrest warrant from the regional trial court before he could be arrested, his spokesperson said.
In a press briefing in Jordan, Presidential Spokesperon Harry Roque said that President Duterte would prefer civilian court processes to proceed, rather than court martial proceedings.
“He will allow the judicial process to proceed. He will wait for the issuance of the warrant of arrest,” Roque said briefing reporters about the President’s decision while in Jordan.
“The instruction is to abide by the rule of law,” he said. “Aantayin nya ang desisyon ng regional trial court. (He will wait for the decision of the regional trial court).”
Roque said Duterte insisted that if there is no warrant of arrest issued by the civilian court, there will be no arrest done on Trillanes.
The Palace spokesperson said he himself wanted a military court to be the one that will order the arrest of Trillanes, but he said the President preferred otherwise.
“Ayaw ni Presidente ng military court. Gusto nya ng civilian courts,” Roque said of Duterte’s decision.
Trillanes had been sleeping inside his Senate office for three straight nights now since the Sept. 4, 2018 publication of Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572 in a newspaper because of the threat of arrest if he leaves the Senate premises.
He had requested Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III for his person to be placed under senate custody until a valid arrest warrant has been issued.
“(President Duterte) recognizes that only the courts can issue a warrant of arrest. We will wait for the decision of the regional trial court,” Roque told reporters covering the President in Jordan.
“Siya ay naging piskal (The President once served as a prosecutor) He knows what the procedure will be.. And he says, ‘miski mas matagal tagal yan (even if that will take longer) let it be because that is the rule of the law,” Roque said recalling the President’s instructions on Trillanes.
“So drama drama lang iyang sinasabi ni Trillanes na anytime ay ipapa-aresto siya (So that is just a drama of Trillanes — his allegation that anytime, he can be arrested)” he said.
Roque also challenged the leader of the Oakwood Mutiny to produce his original application for amnesty, since Trillanes failed to include this copy in his petition for a termporary restraining order filed with the Supreme Court.
Trillanes had asked the high court to nullify President Duterte’s Proclamation No. 572 that voided the amnesty granted to him by former President Aquino in 2010.
“Hindi po niya kinabit yung application. Kailangan po siyang sumunod sa rules of evidence. Kailangan iprisenta po niya yung application for amnesty (Trillanes did not attach his application [for amnesty]. He has to follow the rules of evidence. He has to present his application for amnesty),” Roque said.
“The best evidence is the duly received application form,” he added.
Roque has maintained that Trillanes’ amnesty was given by former President Aquino on a “silver platter” as this was granted in 2010 even if he had not applied for it. (Eagle News Service)
