PNP ready to arrest Trillanes, co-accused in sedition case

MANILA, Philippines — The country’s police force is ready to go after former Senator Antonio Trillanes III and his co-accused in the sedition case related to the “Ang Totoong Narcolist” videos.

This was assured by Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac on Friday after the Quezon City (QC) Metropolitan Trial Court (MeTC) issued a warrant of arrest against Trillanes and 10 other persons.

He said that they were just waiting for the copy of the arrest order to be transmitted from the QC MeTC Branch 138.

“Naghahanda na ang pulis upang iaresto ang mga akusado,” Banac told reporters in an interview in Camp Crame.

(The police force is ready to arrest the accused.)

The QC Police District and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will lead the operations for the arrest of Trillanes and the 10 co-accused, he added.

Aside from Trillanes, warrants of arrest have also been issued against the following:

-Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula

-Fr. Flaviano Villanueva

-Fr. Albert Alejo, Boom Enriquez

-Yoly Ong-Villanueva

-Jonnell Sanggalang

-Joel M. Saracho

-Eduardo Acierto

-Vicente Romano

-and a certain “Monique”

As Trillanes is currently out of the country, Banac said the police will wait for him, and those who are also abroad, to come back to the Philippines before executing the warrant of arrest against them.

However, after 30 days, the PNP will coordinate with the International Police (Interpol) to track them down.

“Kapag talagang ang isang hinahanap ng batas ay hindi na mahanap after due diligence at hindi na matagpuan at malalaman natin na nagtatago ito sa abroad ay saka natin isasagawa ang pagno-notify sa ating counterparts, ang International Police or Interpol,” the PNP official said.

(When a person being pursued by law can no longer be located after due diligence and we learn that they are hiding abroad, it is only then that we will notify our counterparts – the Interpol.)