Teacher renews call for SC to stop Bato from seeking Senate sanctuary

A teacher asked Tuesday the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its dismissal of his petition to prohibit Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa from seeking safe haven in the Senate should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against him.

In a 16-page petition, John Barry Tayam asked the high court to "decide the case on merits rather than on mere technicalities." He also called on the senator to follow the law.

"Sana sumunod lang [si Dela Rosa] sa batas. Kung kailangan niya sumuko, sumuko siya. Kung talagang matapang siya, harapin niya. Ako, I am not against anyone," Tayam said in an ambush interview.

(I hope [Dela Rosa] simply follows the law. If he needs to surrender, he should surrender. If he is truly brave, he should face it. I am not against anyone.)

"Ang nanay ko bisaya, ako maituturing na bisaya, hindi tayo pwedeng tumakbo sa mga kinakaharap nating problema dahil matatapang tayo," he added.

(My mother is Bisaya, I can be considered Bisaya, we cannot run away from the problems we are facing because we are brave.)

GMA News Online has asked Dela Rosa's camp for comment.

In March, Tayam filed a petition for prohibition to prevent Dela Rosa and then-Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero from utilizing the Senate as a "sanctuary or safe haven."

However, he said the SC denied his petition for failure to present an actual case or controversy.

This led him to file the present petition before the High Court.

He argued that the SC erred in dismissing his petition.

Tayam's petition came after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the international tribunal has issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.

Both the ICC and the Department of Justice, however, have yet to confirm this. 

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Dela Rosa would not undergo the same process as former President Rodrigo Duterte, wherein the Philippine National Police and Philippine authorities cooperated to act on a notice from the Interpol.

Nonetheless, the DOJ said the Philippine government will have to carry out the arrest warrant if the ICC issues it.

Meanwhile, Tayam denied that he had a political motive in filing the petition.

"Nothing political. Whether pro-Marcos kayo or sa mga mangba-bash or pro-Duterte kayo, sa tama lang po tayo. And nasa Korte Suprema na po ang desisyong ito," he said.

(Nothing political. Whether you are pro-Marcos or among the bashers or pro-Duterte, let's just stand on what is right. And the decision now lies with the Supreme Court.)

For its part, Dela Rosa's camp previously said it has yet to get official information that the ICC has indeed issued a warrant against him.

Dela Rosa's counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, also said they have been made aware of circulating reports. 

Though there is no case lodged against the senator in the ICC, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV previously said Dela Rosa and four other former ranking police officials have been tagged as suspects in the ICC probe into the war on drugs.

Dela Rosa served as PNP chief when the drug war was implemented under the Duterte administration.

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration's anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays. — VDV, GMA Integrated News