Jimmy Bondoc says he's unaware of Bato Dela Rosa's whereabouts after Senate exit

Lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, legal counsel of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, said Monday he is unaware of the senator’s whereabouts following the latter's departure from the Senate, where he had sought protective custody.

Bondoc arrived at the Senate to meet with Dela Rosa’s staff and legal team to discuss their response to the comment filed by the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), which asked the Supreme Court (SC) to dismiss the senator’s plea related to a possible arrest under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“Hindi ko alam. Wala kaming knowledge sa whereabouts,” Bondoc told reporters.

(I don’t know. We have no knowledge of his whereabouts.)

“Walang idea. Walang communication, we’re in touch with their staff. As you remember, mayroon kaming 72 hours to reply to the comment of the OSG,” he added. “We’re meeting with the staff and other lawyers.”

(We have no idea. There has been no communication, although we are in touch with their staff. As you remember, we have 72 hours to reply to the OSG comment. We’re meeting with the staff and other lawyers.)

Over the weekend, the OSG asked the SC to deny Dela Rosa’s Urgent Manifestation with Omnibus Motion and Extremely Urgent Supplemental Manifestation with Motion for alleged lack of merit.

In its comment, the OSG argued that dela Rosa “is not entitled to an injunctive writ to enjoin his arrest and surrender to the ICC,” saying he failed to establish a clear legal right requiring immediate protection or demonstrate urgent necessity for injunctive relief.

The OSG also argued that a subpoena issued by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), later recalled, was valid under Republic Act No. 10973, and said parliamentary immunity “was never meant to be a shield against public accountability.”

Dela Rosa filed petitions before the SC seeking judicial relief before the executive branch could act on a possible ICC arrest warrant and asked for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against its implementation.

The SC did not issue the TRO and instead directed government officials to comment on the plea within 72 hours. The OSG submitted its comment on Friday.

Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police and former Davao City police chief during the administrations of former President Rodrigo Duterte as mayor and president, was identified by the ICC prosecutor as among Duterte’s alleged co-perpetrators in a supposed “common plan” to neutralize criminals nationwide through killings.

After briefly resurfacing at the Senate to vote in a leadership change, Dela Rosa again disappeared from public view following reports of an ICC arrest warrant against him.

On Friday, Acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) had been issued against the senator.—MCG, GMA News