Panelo to Trillanes: ‘You’re the one who’s harassing the government’

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyer on Wednesday hit back at Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for accusing the government of harassing self-confessed killer and retired police officer Arturo Lascañas.

Trillanes on Tuesday decried as harassment the order of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to coordinate with the International Police Organization for the arrest of Lascañas.

Judge Retrina Fuentes of the 11th Regional Trial Court Branch 10 on June 5 issued arrest warrants against Lascañas for killing of broadcaster Jun Pala.

READ: Davao court orders arrest of Duterte accuser for Pala slay

“Unang-una yung nag-issue ng warrant of arrest ay isang hukuman so di mo pwedeng sabihing harassment yan (First of all, the one that issued the warrant of arrest is the judiciary so you cannot surmised it as harassment),” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in a radio interview over Radyo Singko.

Panelo said Trillanes could be describing himself when he decried harassment for Lascañas.

“E siguro dinedescribe niya ang sarili niya. Siya ang nangha-harass sa gobyerno e. Siya ang harasser (Maybe he is describing himself. He’s the one who’s harassing the government),” he said.

Panelo said the arrest order against Lascañas was a “legitimate order coming from a competent court.”

The Bureau of Immigration said Lascañas left the Philippines on April 8, and went to Singapore prior to the release of his arrest warrant. He was supposed to return on April 22, but has not returned since then.

Panelo said Trillanes, as a public official, should surrender Lascañas if he knows his whereabouts.

“As a senator of the Republic, it is his duty and responsibility to surrender Lascañas,” he said.

He said Trillanes could be charged with harboring a criminal and obstruction of justice if proven that he knew the location of Lascañas.

Lascañas earlier testified before the Senate accusing Duterte of paying alleged Davao Death Squad (DDS) members to kill suspected drug personalities, criminals and political enemies. JPV