The Department of Justice has subpoenaed Sen. Robin Padilla and his chief of staff, retired Col. Jean Alla Yasin Robles, to answer a complaint accusing them of obstruction of justice in connection with the departure of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from the Senate.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez confirmed Tuesday that the subpoenas were served on Padilla and Robles at the Senate at about 2:30 p.m.
The two were ordered to appear before the DOJ panel of prosecutors on Sept. 25 and Oct. 9.
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed the complaint on May 28, accusing Padilla and Robles of allegedly helping Dela Rosa leave the Senate following the May 13 shooting incident at the chamber.
Padilla has acknowledged that Dela Rosa hitched a ride in his SUV early on May 14. He maintained that Dela Rosa was not a fugitive at the time and that there was no locally issued arrest warrant against him.
The DOJ complaint comes amid separate investigations into Dela Rosa’s departure from the Senate, where he had been under the chamber’s protective custody while facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity linked to killings during the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs. He served as Philippine National Police chief when former President Rodrigo Duterte launched the campaign in 2016.
Dela Rosa has not been publicly seen since leaving the Senate in May.
Former President Duterte is detained at the ICC detention facility in The Hague, Netherlands, where he faces crimes against humanity charges over his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
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