SENATOR Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is making himself “unavailable” as his “personal safety is at stake” amid the reported issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a television interview, Dela Rosa’s legal counsel Lawyer Israelito Torreon lamented that Dela Rosa is avoiding public appearances because the Philippine government has no clear policy on how to effectuate surrender.
“Ganito po, ngayon kasi ‘yung kanyang personal safety is at stake. Maka-speculate lamang ako kasi hindi ako makasabi for him even if I am his lawyer. He is just making himself unavailable,” Torreon said.
(Here’s the situation: his personal safety is currently at stake. I can only speculate because I cannot speak for him, even if I am his lawyer. He is just making himself unavailable.)
“Kasi wala pong klaro kung ano po ang polisiya o wala po tayong batas as to how to deal with surrender. Kasi klarong-klaro po ‘yung gobyerno natin is they will opt for the modality of surrender instead of extradition under Section 17 of Republic Act 9851... Kawawa naman po ‘yung taong kidnapin lang, hindi idaan sa ating korte, na meron naman tayong working courts, meron tayong healthy prosecution service po dito,” he added.
(Because there is no clear policy or law on how to handle surrender. It’s very clear that our government will opt for the modality of surrender instead of extradition under Section 17 of Republic Act 9851… It would be unfair for a person to just be kidnapped and not brought before our courts, when we have functioning courts and a healthy prosecution service here.)
Torreon said that while he is also not aware of Dela Rosa’s whereabouts, the lawmaker might still be in the country.
He said they are hoping that the Supreme Court will grant their petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order on the arrest warrant issued against Dela Rosa.
“Kung lalabas talaga ‘yung arrest warrant, there is compelling necessity now. We will present that to the Supreme Court. Meron nang clear and urgent necessity on the Supreme Court to probably act on our TRO,” said Torreon.
(If the arrest warrant really comes out, there is now a compelling necessity. We will present that to the Supreme Court. There is already a clear and urgent need for the Supreme Court to probably act on our TRO.)
“Pero hindi po namin pangungunahan. Ginagalang po namin ang Supreme Court. Kung mangyayari iyon, baka mataas na mataas ang posibilidad na mapagbigyan po kami ng Supreme Court,” he added.
(But we will not preempt them. We respect the Supreme Court. If that happens, the possibility that the Supreme Court will grant our request is very, very high.)
Over the weekend, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque warned Dela Rosa as he claimed that the ICC had already issued an arrest order against him.
Roque urged Dela Rosa not to let anyone kidnap him and take him to The Hague and to demand that he be presented first before a Philippine court.
Several weeks ago, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla also claimed that an arrest warrant against the former PNP chief is out.
Remulla said he first learned about the supposed warrant from his former colleagues at the Department of Justice (DOJ) and later from someone claiming to act as an ICC liaison.
He said he has an unofficial copy of the warrant on his phone but refused to show it.
Dela Rosa’s camp has filed a petition before the court to compel Remulla to surface the supposed arrest warrant.
Since November 10, Dela Rosa has been a no-show at Senate hearings as well as public events.
Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the chief implementer of Duterte’s drug war, was also identified as the primary respondent in the ongoing ICC investigation into alleged crimes against humanity in relation to the killing of over 6,000 suspected drug personalities during the former administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs.
He earlier said he is willing to join former President Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested on March 11 and immediately turned over to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)