DOJ chief Vida orders arrest of Bato Dela Rosa if he tries to leave PH

An Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) has been issued against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said Friday.

Vida said he also ordered the authorities to arrest Dela Rosa if he tries to leave the Philippines, saying that the senator doing so was "a mockery of justice.

“I’ve issued an ILBO already for him. We’ve sent notices to our border control authority, basically,” Vida said in a press briefing.

The ICC has issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa for “alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator” in the crimes against humanity of murder from July 3, 2016, until the end of April 2018, wherein at least 32 persons died.

He was placed under the protective custody of the Senate after National Bureau of Investigation agents attempted to serve the warrant against him on Monday.

Dela Rosa slipped out from the premises of the Senate on Thursday at 2:30 a.m. with Senator Robin Padilla, and his location is now unknown.

According to Vida, he has ordered the arrest of Dela Rosa if he attempts to leave the Philippines.

“The DOJ will treat any attempt by Senator Bato Dela Rosa to leave the country as a mockery of justice,” he said.

“And I am giving specific orders to law enforcement agents, to our border control authority, that if Senator Bato Dela Rosa would try to leave the country that the appropriate arrest should be made,” he added.

Vida, however, denied that there is a manhunt operation against Dela Rosa.

When asked if authorities are aware of his last location, he said there is information available to the department to determine where Dela Rosa is.

Meanwhile, Vida confirmed that there is a valid ICC warrant against Dela Rosa.

“I do confirm that there is a valid ICC arrest warrant,” he said.

“And the pending request from the ICC to serve the same has been duly received by the Philippines,” he added. –NB, GMA News