Trillanes won’t leave Senate until amnesty issue resolved

FILE: UNDER SENATE CUSTODY. Reporters interview Senator Antonio Trilllanes IV, with Senator Risa Hontiveros (right), as he walks along the hallway of the Senate to meet Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to discuss the issues of his arrest on Tuesday (Sept. 4, 2018) after his amnesty has been revoked. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)

Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV on Friday, September 14, said he will remain inside the Senate building until the issue on the revocation of his amnesty granted by the past administration is resolved.

Trillanes, who has been staying in the Senate office since President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation No. 527 was issued on September 4, told reporters that it was the ‘advice’ to him by his legal counsels.

“In the meantime, the decision here is to stay in the Senate until ma-resolve ‘yung court cases (are resolved),” he said.

Trillanes issued this statement despite assurance from the government that he will not be taken into custody unless an arrest warrant is issued by the civilian courts.

The senator earlier announced that he will try to leave the Senate premises ‘quietly,’ but he did not push through with this plan after learning that motorcycle riders in plain clothes followed his vehicle when it left the Senate building on Wednesday night and on Thursday afternoon.

He added that there was an ‘augmentation’ of the Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel outside the Senate building when he announced to the media his initial plan to go home.

“Ang intention daw ay paglabas ko [sa Senate], they will stop me from going back in (The intention is that upon leaving the Senate, they will stop me from going back in),” Trillanes previously said.

Lorenzana, however, told GMA News in a text message that there was “no order to arrest him nor to follow him.”

Duterte also said that ‘nobody,’ not even him, is interested to arrest Trillanes.

“The military does not have the interest.

I don’t have the interest. He can stay there [at the Senate] as a boarder,” the President said on Thursday.

“The police — sabi ko (I said), do not arrest until there is a warrant of arrest by the court… Wala namang order (there was no order). So kung walang order, huwag ninyong pakialaman (if there is none, then let him be),” he added.