Revilla on looming arrest: “Huwag ‘nyo akong babuyin”

Embattled Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla has appealed to authorities to respect his right not only as a public official, but as an individual; insisting that he has no intention to escape or evade his looming arrest in connection with the plunder case filed by the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan last week.

“Sinabi ko nga ‘di naman tayo tatakas kaya huwag naman sana tayong babuyin, ‘di naman ako tatakas, ako naman ay haharap sa problemang ito,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

(As I have said, I will not escape so I hope they will respect me, I am not hiding and I will face this problem.)

Revilla also warned that any inappropriate means of arresting him may result to unpleasant consequences especially if he will be humiliated before the public.

“Baka hindi maganda ang mangyari kung akoy bababuyin nila,” the senator added. “Sabi ko mas mabuti na ‘yong maayos na pagkuha sa atin at hindi ko naman tatakbuhan ang kasong ito.”

(It may lead to something bad if they would try to disrespect me. I told them they should arrest me in a proper way because I have no intention to run from this case.)

Revilla’s arrest along with his colleagues, Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce-Enrile, could happen anytime soon following the issuance by the Sandiganbaya of the hold departure orders (HDO) against the three lawmakers, preventing them from leaving the country.

Gentleman’s agreement

An official of the Philippine National Police confirmed he has communicated with the three senators to discuss their peaceful surrender to the authorities once the Sandiganbayan releases the warrant for their arrest.

Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) Director Benjamin Magalong said he had a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ with Enrile, Revilla and Estrada for the three to proceed to Camp Crame instead of being arrested in the Senate or at home.

This was also confirmed by Revilla and Estrada who both said they are willing to surrender to avoid any untoward incident. For Estrada, he appealed not to be arrested at home especially in front of his children.

“I have already spoken with a ranking policeman, a general in Camp Crame. I told them, ‘you don’t need to arrest me, you don’t need to go to my house kasi baka ma-trauma iyong mga anak ko eh, especially iyong maliit na anak ko. Just tell me where to go and I am willing to go there,” Estrada told reporters.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are the agencies reportedly tasked to serve the arrest warrant to the senators and some 50 others accused in the P10-billion plunder and graft cases.

A PNP official said they have no intention of humiliating the accused, but would be compelled to handcuff them if they resisted.

“If situational, then men on the ground will have judgment call to make. If they resist, we will employ these things we use for restraining,” PNP spokesman Chief Superintindent Reuben Theodore Sindac said. “But if there’s no need to restrain because of certain conditions, theoretically for example a surrender or walk-in, there will be no opportunity to handcuff anymore.”

Early reports said the detention facilities are being prepared in a rush at Camp Crame where the lawmakers are expected to be accommodated after the arrest, although the senators expressed preference to house arrest.

But Sandiganbayan has yet to decide whether it would accede to their request amid public criticisms of alleged special treatment to the senators who allegedly pocketed millions of pesos siphoned from their pork barrels using non-existent NGOs linked to businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles.