Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is still a free man, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.

The Makati City Regional Trial Court Brach 148 which is in charge of the coup d’ etat case against Trillanes opted to hear the Senator’s side before determining whether to grant or deny the request of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the issuance of an alias warrant of arrest.

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Technically, Guevarra said Trillanes is still a free man because there is still no arrest warrant against him.

“The police will have to wait for the warrant,” he added in a text message.

Members of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) are already at the Senate for Trillanes.

But Guevarra clarified that he is only speaking based on the rules applying to civilians and regular courts.

“I am not in the military so I don’t know their rules pertaining to arrests,” he added.

Aside from criminal prosecution, the proclamation issued by President Rodrigo Duterte also ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to proceed with the court martial case against Trillanes. /muf

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