DILG aware of Bato dela Rosa's whereabouts amid reported ICC arrest warrant

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday said it is aware of the locations and movements of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa amid the reported arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“We are monitoring him. Alam namin kung nasaan siya. At hintayin lang namin kung may utos talaga ang korte o wala,” Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla told GTV’s Balitanghali in an interview.

(We are monitoring him. We know where he is. And we will just wait to see if the court really has an order or not.)

According to him, Dela Rosa has been transferring to different places using different vehicles with the help of some friends. In the last three weeks, the senator was spotted in six locations.

“Palipat-lipat siya ng mga bahay. Sa mga kaibigan niya, tinatago siya. Tapos sa loob lang siya ng bahay. Kapag lilipat siya, iba-ibang kotse ang ginagamit,” Remulla said.

(He moves from house to house. His friends are hiding him. Then he stays inside the house. When he moves, he uses different cars.)

“So I think we've monitored him in six different places in the last three weeks,” he added.

Remulla refused to divulge the specific locations because he said these are considered confidential information.

Not fugitive yet

The DILG chief noted that authorities do not consider Dela Rosa as a “fugitive” yet, citing the absence of the official issuance of ICC arrest warrant.

If the ICC already issued the arrest warrant, Remulla said that based on a Supreme Court ruling on extradition, Dela Rosa will be allowed to use a legal remedy.

“According to the Supreme Court ruling on extradition, papayagan si Senator Bato to seek redress from the court. Kahit RTC, pwede siya mag-seek ng redress to deal with the matter,” Remulla said.

(According to the Supreme Court ruling on extradition, Senator Bato will be allowed to seek redress from the court. Even the RTC, he can seek redress to deal with the matter.)

“At kung ano ang desisyon ng korte, ay iyon ang gagawin ng gobyerno,” he added.

(And whatever the Court decides, that is what the government will do.)

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV previously noted that Dela Rosa and four other high-ranking ex-police officials have been tagged as suspects amid the ICC probe into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs for a crimes against humanity case. Trillanes is one of the personalities who filed a case against Duterte with the ICC.

Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Philippine National Police during the implementation of the drug war under the Duterte administration.

Atty. Israelito Torreon earlier said that his client Dela Rosa is avoiding public appearance because “his personal safety is at stake” amid the reported ICC arrest warrant.

“Kasi wala pong klaro kung ano po ang polisiya o wala po tayong batas as to how to deal with surrender. Kasi klarong-klaro po yung gobyerno natin is they will up the modality of surrender instead of extradition under Section 17 of Republic Act 9851,” he added.

(Because it is not clear what policy is or we do not have a law as to how to deal with surrender. Because our government is very clear that they will up the modality of surrender instead of extradition under Section 17 of Republic Act 9851.)

Torreon said he last spoke with Dela Rosa before November 8 but their discussion was about the protests and not the ICC.

According to Torreon, Dela Rosa is probably still in the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News