Palace: No reason for Bato to seek freezing of assets of jet's owner

Malacañang on Monday said there is no reason for Senator Ronald ''Bato'' Dela Rosa to send the findings of the Senate committee on foreign relation to US President Donald Trump in order to freeze the assets of the owner of the Gulfstream G550 that flew former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague.

At a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said the Trump administration respects the prerogative of the Philippines when it comes to matters about the International Criminal Court.

''Kaya ko binasa itong provision na ito at nilalaman ng Executive Order, kasi iginagalang po ng bansang US kung ano iyong prerogative ng bansa. Kung ang bansa po natin at pamahalaan natin ay nagkaroon ng pagdedesisyon ayon sa ating RA 9851 at sa pakikipag-cooperate sa Interpol, iyon naman po ay hindi naman po hahadlangan ng US at irerespeto po nila iyong sovereign prerogatives ng bansa,'' Castro said.

(I read the provision and the content of the Executive Order, because the US respects the prerogative of our country. If our country and our government decides based on RA 9851 and we cooperated with the Interpol, the US government respects that.) 

''So, wala po akong nakikita na maaring maging dahilan ni Senator Bato para siya ay tumakbo sa US para humingi ng tulong para ma-freeze iyong asset ‘nung may-ari ‘nung aircraft,'' she added.

(I see no reason for Senator Bato to go to the US and ask for help to freeze the assets of the owner of the aircraft.) 

She read a portion of Trump's executive order, saying that “The United States remains committed to the accountability and to the peaceful cultivation of international order at the ICC.''

''And the parties to the Rome Statute must expect the decisions of the United States and other countries not to subject their personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction consistent with their respective sovereign prerogatives.”

Dela Rosa earlier advised whoever owns the private jet to “prepare for the repercussions of his actions.”

In February, Trump imposed economic and travel sanctions targeting people who work on International Criminal Court investigations of US citizens or US allies such as Israel

According to a Reuters report, the sanctions include freezing any US assets of those designated and barring them and their families from visiting the United States.

Senator Imee Marcos disclosed that the Gulfstream G550 jet with tail number RP-C5219, which transported Duterte to the Netherlands, was seen frequently used by her brother, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.—AOL, GMA Integrated News