Police surround senator’s house as standoff continues

By Anthony Vargas/Manila Times

The spokesman for Cavite police, superintendent Rommel Estolano, said they were waiting for the local court to issue a search warrant for at least 30 alleged National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents who are inside the Revilla compound.

“As of now we are applying for a warrant to search the vicinity of the compound of senator Revilla . . . our focus is the search for firearms,” Estolano told reporters via Skype during a press briefing in Camp Crame.

The spokesman said the policemen would continue to remain in the “immediate vicinity” of the senator’s compound, which he maintained is part of their “police visibility” operation.

He added that, the senator was not being suspected of any illegal acts, but they were just going after the alleged NBI agents they believe still remained holed inside the Revilla compound.

Estolano said they had received information that some 30 alleged NBI agents have reportedly taken shelter inside the Revilla compound following the arrest on Monday of six other NBI agents.

He said charges have already been filed against five of the NBI operatives, said to be “confidential agents,” for violation of the election gun ban.

Provincial police chief Alexander Rafael and police officials had tried to persuade the senator to sign a waiver to allow the authorities to search his house without a search warrant, as Monday’s attempts to secure sanction from the courts had failed. The senator has, however, refused.

“So far, they have approached three judges to secure a search warrant but no court is inclined to agree with them,” Revilla said. “However, the police will try again in the following days until they get one,” he added.

Senator Revilla has stressed that he would allow his house to be searched “if the police authorities could present a valid search warrant issued by an impartial court following the due process.”

He explained that, the presence of NBI agents near his residence was owing to an offer of protection following a request to the NBI by attorney Sal Panelo and other friends.

The senator confided that “the police authorities in Cavite have turned a deaf ear and dismissed our requests for protection against threats and harassment to our families and supporters.”

The police authorities, in turn, explained that the arrest of some NBI agents was a legitimate police action to enforce the election gun ban, in response to a call from some concerned citizens, who noticed some armed men near the Revilla mansion.

The police also revealed that they had spotted some 200 “Kabayan Bikers”, some allegedly armed with Uzi sub-machine guns, in an ambush formation as they blocked the police path. When police reinforcements arrived in the area, the bikers fled through a blue gate that supposedly lead to the Revilla mansion, close to the place where six NBI agents were arrested.