If he’s willing to listen to a retired cop, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV should just go home. There’s nothing to be afraid of, said former Philippine National Police chief and now Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa.

“Kung makinig lang sya sa akin, advise-an ko siya na kung pwede huwag matakot. Umuwi ka kung gusto mong umuwi,” Dela Rosa told reporters on Wednesday, September 12, after he took his oath as a member of President Rodrigo Duterte’s ruling PDP-Laban party.

(If he would only listen to me, I’ll advise him to be not afraid. He should go home if he wants to.)

“Wala namang huhuli sa kanya. Wala namang warrant of arrest, sinabi na ng Presidente (No one will arrest him. There is no warrant of arrest. The President already said it),” he added.

Upon the advice of lawyers and colleagues and wary of a warrantless arrest, Trillanes has been staying in his Senate office for more than a week now, since September 4, following Duterte’s revocation of his amnesty.

Duterte initially ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to immediately arrest the senator. They, however, later changed their tune and said they would submit to civilian courts.

If still in doubt, Dela Rosa said Trillanes can always call PNP chief Oscar Albayalde and AFP Chief of Staff Carlito Galvez Jr, the senator’s upperclassmen from the Philippine Military Academy.

“Wala naman talagang order na hulihin siya. Wala pang warrant (There really is no order to arrest him. There is still no warrant),” Dela Rosa said.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana had said there would be no arrest without a court-issued warrant, but Trillanes is far from convinced, citing conflicting statements from the administration.

The Supreme Court denied the senator’s request for an immediate relief via a temporary restraining order. Despite this, Trillanes said he is “grateful” that the SC recognized his rights and took “judicial notice” of Duterte and the military’s assurance ruling out a warrantless arrest.

Trillanes, citing supposed information from AFP units tasked to arrest him, claimed there is still a standing arrest order from Duterte after the SC decision. – Rappler.com