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ON SUPPOSED ARREST, THREAT TO LIFE

Panelo dares Trillanes: Take legal action, stop acting like an 'anxious puppy'


Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Saturday dared Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to file a case regarding the alleged arbitrary threat to arrest him without a warrant and the alleged threat to his life.

"If he truly believes that there is no basis for his arrest and that he is practically doing service to the Filipino people by continuously criticizing the President, he should simply take legal action on the matter and stop acting like an anxious puppy pretending to be a political target by the President all the time," Panelo said in a statement sent to media.

"The President has already categorically stated that Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will not be arrested without a warrant issued by the court," he said.

"Despite the said assurance, and with no other basis, Senator Trillanes keeps on engaging the media by claiming that he must continue seeking the protection of the Senate since the President has personally ordered for his arrest," Panelo said.

"Noticing however that his supposed arbitrary arrest drama is losing media traction, Senator Trillanes is now claiming that his life is in danger by releasing a supposed video footage showing that an unidentified vehicle is casing his house," he added.

Panelo called the supposed arbitrary threat and alleged threat to Trillanes' life as "figments of his imagination."

"To be clear, his supposed arbitrary arrest, and now threat to his life, are but figments of his imagination," he said.

Panelo reiterated that there is no such threat to the senator's life.

"As stated in our previous articulations, there has never been any concrete report or incident that there is an attempt against his life due to his continued opposition to this administration. These are all publicy stunts of Sentator Trillanes not only to besmirch the reputation of the President, but also to milk publicity for himself," he said.

On Tuesday, Trillanes showed CCTV footage of a vehicle going around his house.

Trillanes, a former Navy officer, said this is just part of the surveillance being done on him and his family after the nullification of his amnesty for attempts to overthrow the Arroyo administration. He has already challenged the nullification of the amnesty before the Supreme Court.

“Hindi ito basta-bastang harassment lang. Pananakot kasi they were not meant to be seen, kaso nabisto lang kaya ganun. Tinitignan nila kung paano sila papasok, kung paano nila maituloy kung ano man ang kanilang hangarin,” he said in a press conference.

Trillanes also said an order for his arrest remains active and that the arresting unit trained on him is merely waiting for an opening.

The senator has stayed at the Senate since September 4 after it became known that President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 572 revoking Trillanes' amnesty for not complying with the requirements and ordering the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to arrest the senator.

Duterte, however, will allow the judicial process to proceed and will wait for the issuance of the appropriate warrant of arrest, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said. —KG, GMA News

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