Torre: PNP 'making contingencies' in case ICC orders Bato’s arrest

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is planning contingencies amid the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) possible issuance of arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, PNP chief Police General Nicolas Torre III said on Monday.

“We'll cross the bridge when we are there. Ang hirap naman pangunahan noon kapag may darating na ganito. Paano kapag wala e di parang napakahirap naman noon,” Torre said in a press conference.

(We'll cross the bridge when we get there. It's hard to preempt when something like this happens. What if there is no arrest warrant, that’s really hard.)

“But obviously we are also making contingencies na kapag may nangyaring ganito ano ang ating gagawin,” he added.

(But obviously we are also making contingencies when something like this happens, what will we do?)

For Torre, it was improper to discuss the matter right now. He said the PNP will make decisions when the ICC arrest warrant is already issued.

“Hindi nga lang siya talaga proper na parang i-discuss mo na agad up to the moment. Nakita niya naman siguro. You know what I mean? It's really something that has to be acted upon kapag andiyan na. We'll make decisions as it comes,” he added.

(It is just not really proper to discuss it now. You know what I mean? It's really something that has to be acted upon when it's there. We'll make decisions as it comes.)

The ICC has been investigating former President Rodrigo Duterte and other top officials of his administration for crimes against humanity over the alleged systematic drug war deaths in police operations.

Dela Rosa, who served as first PNP chief of Duterte, earlier tagged himself as the number two accused in the ICC case against the former president.

Duterte was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities on March 11 based on a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC.

He is now in the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague in the Netherlands.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News