Philippines’ Duterte: defiant senator will not be arrested without warrant
Senator Antonio Trillanes remains holed up in the senate building after saying arrest order was ‘illegal’
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told a news conference Friday in Jordan, where Duterte is winding up a visit, that the president made the decision “to abide with the rule of law” after a long discussion with Cabinet officials who were travelling with him.
“The instruction is to abide with the rule of law,” Roque said. “If there is no warrant of arrest issued by any court, do not apprehend Senator Trillanes.”
Backed by dozens of supporters, Trillanes did not immediately venture out of the Senate building, where he has been marooned since Tuesday. His lawyer said the senator would make sure there was no more danger of an illegal arrest.
In a signed proclamation made public Tuesday, Duterte voided a 2011 amnesty granted to Trillanes, who once joined mutinies as a navy officer, and ordered his arrest.
Trillanes refused to leave the Senate and instead asked the Supreme Court in a petition to declare Duterte’s order illegal without a court warrant, which, if upheld by the high court, could open the president to impeachment bids.