Roxas says PNP will exercise care in arresting 3 senators

By: Julliane Love De Jesus - 10 years ago

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—‎Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II assured on Wednesday that the police will be careful in serving the arrest warrant on the three senators charged with plunder and graft in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

But at the same time, Roxas reiterated in a press briefing that the Philippine National Police (PNP) will ‎put their job first and follow the orders of the court.

This was his reaction to Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s plea to authorities not to arrest him at his home to avoid traumatizing his children.

Unlike Estrada, Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. ‎said he does not mind if he would be arrested at his home, but he asked the police to “treat him humanely.”

“The arrest could happen anywhere. The PNP will arrest them not to humiliate a person but sometimes, it’s inevitable because the police are merely doing their jobs,” Roxas said.

He added that the PNP, which is under the supervision of the National Police Commission led by Roxas, will exercise care in arresting the 3 senators so as not to shame their families.

“The point here is, the police are just carrying out the mandate of the court,” Roxas said.

‎Earlier Police Director Benjamin Magalong, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief, confirmed on Wednesday that the three senators have already sent surrender feelers and made a “gentleman’s agreement” with him to turn themselves in to PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima.

The arrest warrants for the three senators and several others tagged in the multi-bullion scam are yet to be issued by the Sandiganbayan.