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MANILA – A Filipino senator who challenged President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, ending a weeks-long conflict with the authorities after the president revoked an amnesty the senator received for his role in two military rebellions.
Antonio Trillanes, 47, was one of the Senate's most prominent critics of Mr. Duterte's anti-drug crackdown, which claimed the lives of thousands of resellers, users and advocates Rights. He is the second senator of the opposition to be imprisoned by the Duterte government.
He was arrested at his Senate office, where he was locked up since Mr. Duterte had announced the arrest order at the beginning of the month. He was accompanied by several opposition senators who protested against the action of the police on the pretext of an abuse of the presidential power.
"Officially, it now shows that we have no more democracy," Trillanes said. "This case is beyond me. I did not commit any crime. I already received an amnesty seven years ago.
He said that it was "obvious harassment" of Mr. Duterte against his detractors in politics. "He can not cope with those who tell the truth," Trillanes said before leaving with the police.
A regional court of first instance in Makati Financial District, Manila, ordered the arrest. Mr. Trillanes, who was released on bail of 200,000 pesos, or about $ 3,700, said he would follow the court process "no matter how unfair that mandate is".
Senator Risa Hontiveros, another opposition senator, accused the courts of yielding to Mr. Duterte, who she said was attempting to intimidate political critics. "There is a sense of panic and despair at growing opposition to the authoritarian regime of the president," she said.
Mr. Trillanes, a former naval officer, was part of a group of soldiers who received an amnesty in 2011 from President Benigno S. Aquino III for their participation in the uprisings. A few weeks ago, Mr. Duterte said that the amnesty was null and void. ordered the arrest of Mr. Trillanes.
In 2003, Mr. Trillanes helped direct about 300 junior officers and men enlisted in a rebellion against the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, predecessor of Mr. Aquino, who is now Speaker of the House of Representatives and ally of Duterte. The group took over a luxury hotel in Makati to protest the alleged corruption of the army, but the bloodless revolt was quickly suppressed.
Four years later, Mr. Trillanes and other officers tried for the previous mutiny came out of a courtroom in Manila and took over another hotel in Makati. The siege only ended when the army crushed an armored vehicle in the lobby of the building.
Mr. Trillanes went to the prison senate the same year and easily won.
Trillanes is the second senator to be imprisoned after challenging Duterte. The first, Senator Leila de Lima, accused the president of using death squads and violating human rights as part of his anti-drug campaign. She was she was jailed last year for protecting drug traffickers while she was justice minister under Mr Aquino, which she denies.
On the advice of his associates, Mr. Duterte had already given up his arrest order, saying that he would let the courts decide. This came after Mr. Trillanes stated that the senior military commanders stood behind him and were concerned about the order.
But a few days later, Mr. Duterte openly dared military officers to rebel against him. He also said there was a plot among military officers, political opponents and communist insurgents to oust him in October.
He never specified this alleged threat, but he said he had received information from a foreign government that helped him gather information.
Carlos Conde, an Asia researcher for Human Rights Watch, said the arrest of Trillanes was part of Duterte's "bitter campaign to silence those who dared to challenge the president's deadly war."
"Senator Trillanes has turned out to be the biggest thorn in President Duterte's foot," said Condé.
Mr. Trillanes had also actively supported Mr. Duterte's investigation into the drug-related murder complaints. against him at the International Criminal Court, which the Philippines no longer recognizes.
"The arrest of Trillanes today has a deterrent effect among other critics of the Duterte administration," said Condé.
