ESCALATION

Philippines: Duterte Critic Arrested in Crackdown on Opposition

“Darkness and evil have prevailed in the country,” said vocal critic and senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a vocal critic of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, was arrested Tuesday, three weeks after Duterte revoked amnesty granted to Trillanes by the previous president. “Darkness and evil have prevailed in the country,” Trillanes said, before he was taken to Makati city for fingerprints and a mugshot. The Guardian notes that he subsequently posted bail and walked free, for the time being. Trillanes will return to court on November 21. “Officially we do not have a democracy any more,” he told reporters at the police station. “This case goes beyond me. We can see that I do not have a criminal record any more because I was already granted amnesty seven years ago. This is a clear case of distortion by Duterte to his critics in politics.” The Guardian adds that Trillanes’ arrest is emblematic of Duterte’s increased crackdown on opposition politicians. Trillanes has publicly accused Duterte and his son of widespread corruption and involvement with illegal drugs, all of which Duterte has denied.