Philippine authorities have been ordered to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa following the issuance of a warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), amid allegations linking him to crimes against humanity in connection with the previous administration’s war on drugs.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to implement the arrest order, stressing that the ICC warrant remains in effect.
“Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice and he should be brought to the ICC to face the charges,” Vida said in a press briefing on Thursday.
A warrant of arrest has been issued for Dela Rosa after he was alleged to be a co-conspirator in the crimes against humanity charges in connection with the killings in the war on drugs of Rodrigo Duterte when he was mayor of Davao City and when he was president of the Philippines.
Malacañang also described the ICC-issued warrant as valid.
“Sa ngayon, masasabi po natin na ang warrant of arrest ay valid laban dito kay Senator Bato dela Rosa,” Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said in a short interview with Palace reporters.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said his department will act in coordination with the Justice Department on the matter.
Asked for comment on Vida’s pronouncement, in a text message to the Inquirer, Remulla said, “We will follow the lead of the DOJ with regards to this.”
The Supreme Court has earlier denied Dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or status quo ante order (SQAO) to block his possible arrest based on the ICC warrant.
His legal team, while respecting the ruling, maintained that constitutional questions remain and said they will file a motion for reconsideration.
“We respect the Honorable Court’s action on the application for interim relief. At the same time, it must be emphasized, with equal clarity, that the Supreme Court itself has stated that it acted only on the prayers for provisional relief,” said The Law
Firm of Torreon and Partners, which represents the senator, in a statement.
“The main case remains alive. The constitutional questions remain squarely before the Supreme Court–and those questions are grave: whether the liberty of a Filipino may be placed at the mercy of a foreign process without the intervention of a Philippine court,” it added.
The NBI said it has already gathered information on the senator’s whereabouts but withheld details.
“Andami-dami pong lead na binigay but we have a lead kung nasaan talaga pero, in the meantime, we will suspend ‘yung announcement kung saan talaga siya,” NBI Director Melvin Matibag said.
Dela Rosa is facing the ICC case over crimes against humanity charges linked to the anti-drug campaign that, according to human rights groups, resulted in up to 30,000 deaths.
He was last seen leaving the Senate premises in the early hours of May 14.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer
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