Casing the house of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is “perfectly legal” for as long as his privacy is not violated, Malacañang said Tuesday.
The Palace made the remark after Trillanes earlier revealed having accosted military men near his house in Antipolo City on Saturday night. The men, according to Trillanes, are members of an intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Armed Forces Chief Carlito Galvez Jr. later confirmed the presence of the men near the senator’s house, who he said, were deployed to ensure the safety of the senator.
“There’s nothing wrong with that for as long as you don’t violate the privacy of his house, casing is perfectly legal,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
Roque also noted that it is “only proper to case individuals who have been openly advocating the overthrow of a duly elected, a democratically elected President.”
Recently, Trillanes, one of President Duterte’s fiercest critics, claimed that suspicious-looking men have been casing his house while he was at the Senate to avoid arrest after the President revoked his amnesty which was granted for his participation in two failed mutinies.
READ: WATCH: Trillanes shows video of car ‘stalking’ his house
During the budget hearing for the Department of National Defense before the Senate Finance Committee, Galvez admitted to Trillanes that he gave the orders to monitor the senator’s residence after receiving reports that the senator has been receiving threats.
“We are also aware of some threats to your life, sir. There are instructions to make sure na walang mangyayari sa inyo,” Galvez said.
“Kasi kung mangyari po sa inyo, sir, we will be the first to be blamed,” Galvez added.
READ: Trillanes accosts soldiers near his house, but …