MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said it is ready to accommodate Senator Antonio Trillanes in its Custodial Center once the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 148 issues an arrest warrant against him for coup d’etat charges.
“I think the custodial center is ready (as per) Chief Supt. Philip Philips, (head of custodial center). So I am sure he is always ready kung meron man, depende sa korte kung sino man i-commit dyan sa (whoever the court commits to the) Custodial Center,” PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Benigno Durana told reporters on Tuesday.
Coup d’etat is a non-bailable offense and the DOJ’s motion is still pending in the said court.
Senator Leila De Lima and former Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. are currently detained at the PNP Custodial Center.
De Lima is currently detained in connection with the drug-related charges in connection with her alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade in the national penitentiary when she was still Justice Secretary.
Revilla is detained for his alleged involvement in the multi-billion peso anomaly involving legislators’ Priority Development Assistance Funds, or pork barrel funds that were supposedly misappropriated under the direction of businesswoman Napoles.
“Anybody that the court ordered (as) an accused na i-commit doon (to be committed there), ready kami whether si Sen. Trillanes or sino man (whoever) but depending on the availability of the said Custodial Center on the space for the detainees but from the last time I have heard from General Philips, he is ready,” he added.
In a separate interview, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) head Police Dir. Guillermo Eleazar said it is up for the senator on where he wants to stay as he is a free man for now.
“He can always stay at the Senate kung gusto niya (if he wants to). As a senator of the land, meron siyang (he has) security detail na inilaan para sa kanya at kung kulang pa yun (allotted for him and if that is not enough), he can always request from authorities lalo sa (especially from the) police,” Eleazar said.
“Nakita naman natin kahapon (We saw yesterday), based sa (on the) directive ng (of) Chief PNP (Oscar Albayalde), for me to personally oversee and supervise the service of the warrant of arrest pati na rin pag-facilitate ng kanyang (including the task to facilitate his) processing, nakita naman natin na maging maayos at sa tingin ko ay wala naman magiging problema naman at kung kailangan ay handa tayo magbigay ng security sa kanya (everything was in order and I think we will not have any problems. We are ready to provide security to him),” he added.
In President Rodrigo Duterte’s Proclamation 572, Trillanes’ amnesty was declared “void ab initio” or invalid from the beginning.”
Duterte said Trillanes had failed to present the necessary requirements in the application of the amnesty for the Oakwood Mutiny, the Marine standoff and the Manila Peninsula siege.
Trillanes IV on Tuesday returned to the Senate after posting a PHP200,000 bail after the Makati City Regional Trial Court Branch 150 ordered his arrest over his participation in the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.
The trial court said with Trillanes’ amnesty being declared void “ab initio,” it has regained jurisdiction to hear and resolve the case despite its dismissal on Sept. 7, 2011.
Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda said the Sept. 7, 2011 dismissal of the case can be considered as a void order and has no legal and binding effect considering the issuance of Proclamation 572.
A similar motion was filed by state prosecutors before the Makati RTC Branch 148, where Trillanes was separately indicted for coup d’état over the 2003 mutiny. The case was also junked on Sept. 21, 2011 on the same ground cited by RTC Branch 150.
The court handles the coup d’état case against Trillanes, whose amnesty was invalidated by President Rodrigo Duterte.
RTC Branch 148 Judge Andres Soriano ordered Trillanes’ camp to file a rejoinder and a supplemental comment on the motion of the DOJ asking the court to issue a warrant and an HDO against him. (PNA)
