NCRPO chief: No need to send cops to Senate to arrest Trillanes
National Capital Region Police Office Director Guillermo Eleazar said there is no need to deploy policemen outside the Senate building after a regional trial court in Davao City issued an arrest warrant against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
In a radio interview on Saturday, Eleazar said that just like in the coup d' etat case, Trillanes has submitted himself in the process.
He also said they have yet to receive a copy of the warrant of arrest, which stemmed from the libel complaint filed by presidential son, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, last September.
But he added that they have been monitoring the whereabouts of the senator.
He said it will not be a problem if they will receive the copy by Monday since Trillanes already expressed his willingness to surrender and post bail in his chosen court.
“Not yet but just the same, we are coordinating and monitoring the whereabouts of Senator Trillanes. As of yesterday, he is not in the Senate building but we heard from him a statement that he will post bail (by) Monday” he said.
“It is good that he will voluntarily surrender and undergo the process,” he added.
Eleazar noted that Trillanes has invoked his right as a member of Congress not to be arrested in cases punishable by less than six years of imprisonment while Congress is in session.
The NCRPO chief believed the senator cannot leave the country if he fails to post bail.
Reports said that Trillanes is set to travel abroad on December 11.
Trillanes, in a statement last Friday, said he would face the libel case filed by Paolo.
“I will face this. I was planning to coordinate with NCRPO Chief Director Eleazar once the warrant is available, so that I could turn myself in voluntarily,” he said.
“However, I was informed by my lawyers that the service of warrants of arrests for minor cases like libel on Fridays, weekends and holidays is prohibited per existing DOJ (Department of Justice) circular and that under Article VI, Section 11 of the Constitution, as a member of Congress, I am privileged from being arrested in cases punishable by less than six years imprisonment while Congress is in session,” he added.
The warrant was issued by Presiding Judge Melinda Dayanghirang of Branch 54 of the Davao City RTC after Paolo filed a libel complaint against the senator.
Trillanes accused Paolo and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, of their alleged involvement in the corruption and extortion with Uber. Paolo denied the allegation. Ella Dionisio/DMS
