Davao City RTC Branch 54 orders Trillanes’s arrest for libel

FILE: Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV was ordered arrested by a Davao City court, following the libel complaint previously filed by Presidential son and former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte against the lawmaker.

“The head of office to whom this warrant of arrest has been delivered for execution shall cause the warrant to be executed within ten days from receipt hereof,” Judge Melinda Alconcel Dayanghirang of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 54 said in her one-page order released on Friday, December 7.

Since it is a bailable case, the local court set the senator’s bail bond at P24,000.

On his Facebook page, Duterte posted a copy of Dayanghirang’s order, along with the caption, “Okay nako ani (I am okay with this). Merry Christmas.”

Last September, Duterte accused Trillanes of  making “downright false, baseless, and unfounded” claims after the latter, in a radio interview with DYAB Cebu in September 2017, said Duterte and his brother-in-law Manases Carpio conspired with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in extorting car-hailing company Uber and other similar companies.

Trillanes, however, said the case lodged against him was another way to “harass” him. He also added that he could not remember the radio interview the Presidential son was referring to his complaint.

[READ: Trillanes says Paolo Duterte, Mans Carpio’s libel case meant to ‘harass’ him]

Two days later, Duterte filed again another complaint against Trillanes, this time, accusing the latter of committing libel during his media interviews on CNN Philippines on June 14 and DZMM on June 6.

The solon, in both interviews, accused Duterte of involvement in the P6.4 billion worth of shabu (crystal meth) shipment from China that slipped into the country in 2017, which the former vice mayor denied.

[READ: Paolo Duterte slaps Trillanes with libel suit anew]

In November, Duterte, who will run for congressman of Davao’s 1st District, told Trillanes to “man up” and face the cases he filed in the court.

The Presidential son issued this statement after his father, President Rodrigo Duterte, said he will “seek revenge” against Trillanes. The younger Duterte, however, clarified that he is seeking “justice” and not revenge.

[READ: Paolo Duterte says he is seeking ‘justice’ not ‘revenge’]