Crossing party lines, senators backed Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s decision not to allow the arrest of opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV within the Senate premises.
The united stand was reached after an all-senator caucus was held at the Senate on Tuesday.
“(They) unanimously support my position,” Sotto said in a text message.
To preserve the dignity of the Senate, Sotto directed the Sergeant-at-Arms not to allow the arrest of any senator within its premises.
“Outside the Senate premises, that’s no longer our concern,” the Senate leader said in an earlier interview.
Sotto said Trillanes could stay in the Senate as long as he wants but probably with “some limitations.”
“Well take it up later depending on how the courts will decide on his warrant of arrest,” he said.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has already asked the Makati City Regional Trial Court to issue an alias warrant of arrest and a hold departure order (HDO) against Trillanes.
The move came after President Rodrigo Duterte issued a proclamation revoking the amnesty given to him by the previous administration. /ee
READ: DOJ asks Makati court to issue alias warrant, HDO vs Trillanes
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