Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday debunked claims that the Senate grounds serve as a sanctuary from legal enforcement, asserting that there is no legal basis to prevent the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa within the chamber.
Trillanes issued the statement after Senator Rodante Marcoleta suggested that the Senate could refuse the entry of law enforcement to “preserve the institution’s dignity,” citing past remarks from other lawmakers.
Trillanes, however, pointed to his own experience in 2018 as the definitive precedent.
“Ang precedence, may session yun, nag-serve ng warrant sa akin yung PNP, sumama ako. Yun ang precedence,” Trillanes told reporters.
The former naval officer stressed that the legislature must uphold the law rather than obstruct it, specifically referring to the alleged International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against Dela Rosa.
“Itong institusyon na ito, it’s a law-making body, not a law-breaking body. May valid warrant of arrest, International Criminal Court,” he added.
To support his claim, Trillanes provided video footage of his 2018 arrest, where a rebellion warrant was served to him inside the Senate building while the chamber was in session.
He flatly rejected the idea of senatorial immunity within the building.
“Kung sino man nagsalita nun, sinungaling. Pinapakita ko yung video kung saan sine-serve sa akin yung warrant of arrest, binabasahan ako ng Miranda Rights, andiyan yun, within Senate premises, while in session,” he stressed.
Trillanes recently claimed to possess a copy of an ICC-issued warrant for Dela Rosa, who was the chief of the Philippine National Police during the height of the Duterte administration’s drug war. The ICC has identified the senator as a key figure in its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity.