Senator Leila De Lima sheds a tear speaking before the media at the Sumulong Room of the Senate before going home to pack her things and be with her family on Thursday, February 23, 2017. The Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court issued a warrant for her arrest. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
Updated: 12:28 a.m., Feb. 24, 2017
Sen. Leila de Lima has until 10 a.m. Friday to stay in her office before she would have to let the arresting team from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) take her into custody, Ferdie Magalang, the senator鈥檚 media officer, told reporters late Thursday night.
Maglalang said this was the agreement between Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Jose Balajadia and the CIDG.
Earlier, the arresting officers went to De Lima鈥檚 house in Para帽aque. But failing to find her there, they went back to the Senate.
They were not allowed, however, to go up her office at the fifth floor of the Senate building.
The Senate leadership had said earlier that De Lima could not be arrested within Senate premises.
De Lima had returned to her office past 10 p.m. Thursday, just as the CIDG team was on its way to her Para帽aque home.
In a brief interview with reporters, De Lima said she preferred to spend the night at the Senate.
鈥淚 just feel unsafe if they do the arrest tonight,鈥� she said.
PNP chief鈥檚 order changed previous deal
In her brief interview with reporters on her return to Senate, De Lima said there was a previous 鈥渁greement鈥� that she would be allowed to spend the night at her home in Para帽aque.
But she said the plan changed suddenly 鈥� supposedly because of an order from Director General Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� de la Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
She said it was Senate President Aquilino 鈥淜oko鈥� Pimentel III and Interior Secretary Ismael Sue帽o who agreed to let go home and let her go back to the Senate on Friday to receive the arrest order outside the chamber.
鈥淢ay arrangement na ho sa kanila na ganun nga ho, dahil hindi naman talaga ako aalis, hindi naman ako tatakas, hindi naman magtatago, hindi naman ako iiwas,鈥� De Lima told reporters. 鈥淜aya kampante rin nga ako na I鈥檒l be staying overnight sa bahay.鈥�
(There鈥檚 an arrangement with them to that effect, because I鈥檓 really not going away, I鈥檓 not escaping, I鈥檓 not going into hiding, I鈥檓 not avoiding it. So I was really confident I鈥檒l be staying overnight at home.鈥�)
鈥淏igla hong nagbago. Desisyon na ho ata ni General De la Rosa,鈥� she added.
(鈥淚t suddenly changed. Maybe it was a decision by General De la Rosa.鈥�)
Did she think it was President Rodrigo Duterte who ordered her immediate arrest?
鈥淭he fact na si General Dela Rosa mismo ang nag desisyon, hindi ba boss niya dapat si Secretary Sueno? So may nag-overrule na mas mataas. Ganun ang reading ko.鈥�
鈥業鈥檓 not going away鈥�
De Lima reiterated that she would not evade the arrest but expressed hope that she would not be arrested inside the chamber.
鈥淚鈥檓 here at the Senate and kung gagalangin nila ang Senado bilang institusyon, hindi ho dapat nila pilitin na pumasok dito para arestuhin ako. Kasi saan naman ako pupunta? Hindi naman talaga ako tatago, hindi naman ako aalis. So huwag ho nilang pilitin yan. That would be a disrespect to the Senate. Kaya hintayin lang po nila ako diyan sa labas,鈥� she said.
(鈥淚鈥檓 here at the Senate and if they would respect the Senate as an institution, they should not force entry here to arrest me. Where would I go? I鈥檓 really not going into hiding, I鈥檓 not going away. So they shouldn鈥檛 force it. That would be a disrespect to the Senate. So they should just wait for me outside.鈥�) /atm