NCRPO to take custody of Trillanes

MANILA, Philippines — The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) is willing to take custody today of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, who was ordered arrested by a regional trial court (RTC) on four counts of libel filed against him by former Davao City vice mayor Paolo Duterte.

In a statement before the media earlier, Trillanes expressed willingness to turn himself in so he could post bail. 

“We shall be coordinating with the office of the Senate Sergeant at Arms on this matter. If the senator wishes to turn himself to us, then we will get him from the Senate,” said NCRPO chief Director Guillermo Eleazar.

Eleazar admitted that they have copies of the arrest warrants issued by the Davao City RTC Branch 54.

“The NCRPO, on our own initiative, secured copies of the four warrants pertaining to the case so that we may be on top of the case and its details,” Eleazar said.        

But Trillanes cited Article 6, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution that “a senator or member of the House of Representatives shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while Congress is in session.”

Eleazar said the NCRPO legal office recommended that “we have to abide by the Constitution.”  – With Alexis Romero