MANILA, Philippines (Updated 10:38 a.m.) — Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has played down talk of his impending arrest over the weekend, saying he is confident the military will stand by a supposed agreement with the Senate not to effect an arrest within the chamber's premises.
Rumos of Trillanes’ arrest started on Thursday night, but on Friday morning, the embattled senator said he is confident that that will not happen. Senate President Vicente Sotto III previously said that no arrests would be allowed on Senate premises, a position also taken by the entire chamber.
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Trillanes told radio DZMM on Friday morning in Filipino: "That (arrest) is a hypothetical question. I believe, before that happens, there are processes to go through.”
“There is an agreement between the [Armed Forces of the Philippines] and the Senate leadership under [Senate president Vicente ] Sotto that no arrest will happen within the Senate premises,” he added.
Sotto, in a text message to Philstar.com, clarified there is no agreement with the Armed Forces of the Philippines or with anyone on Trillanes' arrest.
"Arresting officers as well as agitators, on the other hand, are not allowed in the premises PERIOD," he also said.
Trillanes, a former member of the Philippine Navy, said that he “believes the AFP will stay true to their commitment.”
Voided amnesty
A Manila Bulletin report on Friday morning quotes Sotto as saying in response to the rumors: [The Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms] called me to say wala silang sinasabi (nobody said anything about that).”
President Rodrigo Duterte, through Proclamation 572, ordered the apprehension of one of his fiercest critics. The chief executive said that the amnesty granted to Trillanes is void from the beginning as the senator allegedly failed to comply with the requirements for the application.
Trillanes has refuted the government’s claim with documents of the Department of National Defense that listed his name as one of the applicants for the amnesty, and an AdHoc resolution saying that he has received recommendation for the approval of amnesty.
Amnesty, as defined by the Supreme Court, is an act that “looks backward, and abolishes and puts into oblivion, the offense itself.”
The amnesty was also cited by Makati Regional Trial Court branches 148 and 150 for dismissing the coup d’etat and rebellion cases, respectively, against Trillanes.
READ: Guevarra: Police have to wait for warrant before arresting Trillanes
Supporters troop to Senate
On Thursday night, Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan called on “friends and supporters who value democracy to come to the Senate and show their support” to Trillanes.
He added: “our presence there will hopefully make those effecting the illegal arrest to think twice.”
Early Friday morning, supporters poured in the Senate.