PNP chief: Nothing irregular on serving of arrest warrant to Ressa

BENGUET, Philippines — There was no irregularity in the serving of arrest warrant by the Pasig City police to Rappler chief executive Maria Ressa on Friday, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Oscar Albayalde said.

“Meron siya kasing existing warrant of arrest. There’s a court order. We have to abide with the court order and I think this is bailable naman and binigyan [siya] ng assistance para makapag-piyansa,” Albayalde told reporters after the command conference of the Police Regional Office Cordillera.

(She has an existing warrant of arrest. There’s a court order. We have to abide with the court order and I think this is bailable and she was given assistance to post bail.)

“[There is] nothing unusual and nothing irregular doon sa [pag]se-serve ng warrant. Kung sino naman ang may warrant talagang si-ne-serve naman ‘yun kahit sino pa ‘yan,” he said.

(There is nothing unusual and nothing irregular on the serving of warrant. We will serve the warrant to whoever has a standing warrant of arrest.)

Shortly after arriving from San Francisco, California on Friday morning, Ressa was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1. Her arrest stemmed from a case of alleged Anti-Dummy Law violation filed in a Pasig court.

READ: Rappler’s Ressa arrested at Naia

The case was based on the complaint of the National Bureau of Investigation that said Rappler violated the law for issuing Philippine Depository Receipts to Indonesian company Omidyar Network that invested in the news agency.

In an interview with ANC, Ressa called her arrest a “travesty of justice.”

“It’s kind of interesting, I have nine policemen escorting me along with my trusty lawyer,” she said.

“I have done nothing wrong. I am not a criminal. I am treated like a criminal,” she added. /kga