Escudero, Recto decry military, police presence in Senate

Two senators on Wednesday questioned the continued presence of armed military and police personnel in the Senate even without an arrest warrant issued against opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the arrest of Trillanes after revoking the amnesty given to the senator by former President Benigno Aquino III.

“From what I know, there’s no warrant of arrest issued by any court,” Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto told reporters at the Senate.

“So what are they doing there? There is no warrant of arrest?” he asked.

Senator Francis Escudero also admitted that the presence of the military and policemen in the compound of the Senate has become a concern as it appeared that the chamber is already “militarized.”

“Syempre concern yun dahil na-mimilitarize ang institution at establisyemento ng Senado na hindi pa naman dapat,” Escudero said in a separate interview.

He pointed out that first, Trillanes himself had already said that he would go with the arresting officers once the warrant of arrest against him is issued.

”Pangalawa, wala pa naman silang warrant na pinapakita so hindi ko alam kung ano at bakit sila nandito,” he said.

“Masama lang talagang tingnan kung ika nga overkill yung kanilang ginagawang pagpapakita dito nang wala namang sapat na basehan sa pananaw ko,” Escudero added.

Recto and Escudero are both part of the majority bloc in the Senate.  /muf