Bato claims doctor, police escorts flew with Duterte to The Hague without passports

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Thursday claimed that the doctor and the police escorts who flew with former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague traveled without passports. 

Dela Rosa, an ally of Duterte, disclosed this at the continuation of the Senate foreign relations committee hearing into the arrest of the former president. 

“Pagdating daw doon sa kung saan man sila dumating, wala raw mga papeles, walang mga passport, walang mga visa. Kita mo kung gaano nila viniolate lahat lahat para lang ma-carry out nila ‘yung kanilang matagal nang pangarap na mapabyahe si President Duterte sa The Hague,” Dela Rosa said.

“‘Yung mga pulis kawawa, walang visa dumating doon. Anong gusto nilang gawin sa oulis natin amg TNT? ‘Yung doctor ata yung, pinadala don walang papeles. Ano gusto nila mag-TNT ‘yung pulis natin doon?” He added. 

Dela Rosa asked the panel to invite to the next hearing the policemen and the doctor who traveled with Duterte to The Hague. 

GMA News Online sought the side of the Philippine National Police through its spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo and will publish the response once available.

Senator Imee Marcos, chairperson of the panel, noted that the Philippine authorities also violated the laws of the Netherlands when it surrendered Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

“Ang dami naman nilang nilabag na batas pati ‘yung immigration ng Amsterdam. Pambihira oh,” she said. 

Duterte was flown to The Hague after his arrest and was placed in detention at the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison on March 13 (PH time). He faced the ICC via video link the following day, where the court read to him the charges against him related to the killings under his administration's war on drugs. 

The confirmation of charges has been set for September 23, 2025. —LDF, GMA Integrated News