Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has revoked an amnesty granted to an opposition lawmaker who has become one his fiercest critics and ordered his arrest.
Senator Antonio Trillanes received amnesty in 2011 for his involvement in a failed 2003 coup against then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for her alleged corruption and mismanagement when he was a military officer, as well as leading a military uprising against her four years later.
The arrest order printed in the Manila Times Tuesday, says the amnesty was voided because Trillanes failed to comply with all its requirements, including an admission of guilt.
Trillanes has accused Duterte of corruption and denounced his brutal crackdown on illicit drug traffickers and criminals, which has led to the deaths of thousands of people and sparked an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
Trillanes told reporters in the Philippine Senate that Duterte's order was "a clear case of political persecution." He is remaining in the Senate chambers to avoid arrest.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, who is traveling with Duterte on an official visit to Israel, denied Trillanes's accusation, saying the president always observes "maximum tolerance" for dissent.
This is the second time a lawmaker who has been openly critical of the volatile Duterte has faced detention. Opposition Senator Leila de Lima, who led an inquiry into allegations that Duterte sanctioned extrajudicial killings of drug suspects while mayor of Davao city, was detained after the president accused her of involvement with illicit drugs.
De Lima has vehemently denied the charges.
