Duterte on Trillanes: No warrant, no arrest

President Rodrigo Duterte will abide by the ruling of the trial court on the government's bid to bring Senator Antonio Trillanes IV back to jail after the amnesty granted to him in 2010 was voided, Malacañang said Friday.

Duterte arrived at the decision following a meeting on Thursday with members of the Cabinet that are part of his delegation to his trip to Israel and Jordan.

"He will allow the judicial process to proceed and he will await the issuance of the appropriate warrant of arrest if indeed there is a warrant to be issued before Senator Trillanes is arrested," presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said at a news conference in Jordan.

The Department of Justice has already asked two Makati City trial courts to issue arrest warrants for Trillanes for the cases of rebellion and coup d'etat. 

Trillanes, whose administrative and criminal charges have been revived as a consequence of presidential proclamation, remains holed up in his Senate office to avoid possible arrest.

Roque, however, said Trillanes' action was unnecessary.

"Nag aantay tayo ng desisyon ng Regional Trial Court kung mag issue ng warrant of arrest. Yung pananatili po ni Senator Trillanes sa Senado ay walang basehan. Drama lang po siguro 'yun dahil wala naman aaaresto talaga sa kanya habang walang warrant of arrest," the Palace official said.

Duterte's Proclamation 572 states that the amnesty extended to Trillanes by former President Benigno Aquino III in 2010 was void from the start because he had missed two requirements: an official application and an express admission of guilt for involvement in the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 and Manila Peninsula Siege.

Trillanes, who is still under Senate custody in the absence of a court-issued warrant of arrest against him, has denied the contents of the proclamation and has shown supposed documentary proof to back his claim that he had complied with the requirements.

The senator has already asked the Supreme Court to invalidate the presidential proclamation.

Roque stood by the government's claim that there is no record of Trillanes' amnesty application with the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Palace official also challenged Trillanes to present proof that he had applied for amnesty.

"Kung may mapapakita siya na duly-received [application] pupuwedeng sabihing itinago eh siya mismo walang kopya. So ang conclusion malapit lang talaga siya kay Presidente Noynoy [Aquino] kaya binigay na sa kanya [amnesty] in a silver platter," Roque said.

Trillanes, during a privilege speech and media interviews, has repeatedly shown documents, a video clip, and photographs showing him filing an amnesty application in January 2011.

Aquino had said the amnesty granted to Trillanes and other Magdalo soldiers was valid. —NB/MDM/BAP, GMA News