Bato dela Rosa camp insists ICC warrant not enforceable in PH

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's legal counsel on Wednesday maintained that although they recognize the existence of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), they do not consider it enforceable in the Philippines.

"Kinikilala namin that it exists. Kinikilala namin dahil sa mata nila, it exists, pero hindi namin kinikilala na enforceable siya," Dela Rosa's lawyer Jimmy Bondoc said during the Kapihan sa PDP.

(We recognize it exists because they said it exists, but it is not enforceable for us.)

"It has to go through the proper process," he added.

Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and former Davao City police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte, was identified by ICC prosecutors as among Duterte's alleged co-perpetrators in a supposed "common plan" to neutralize criminals through killings linked to the drug war.

On May 11, Dela Rosa briefly resurfaced at the Senate to participate in a leadership vote that saw Senator Alan Peter Cayetano assume the helm of the upper chamber's presidency.

Dela Rosa again disappeared from public view following a shooting incident Wednesday inside the Senate, where he sought protective custody.

Asked why Dela Rosa sought protective custody if the ICC warrant was supposedly invalid, Bondoc replied: "Because they were enforcing it."

"Madu-Duterte siya. Hindi po ba gan'un kasimple 'yun?" Bondoc said.

(He will suffer the same fate as Duterte, isn't that simple enough?)

"He will languish in a foreign cell beyond the reach of our laws and should the Supreme Court decide in our favor, we will still have no legal recourse to bring him back," he added.

Bondoc also said Dela Rosa's camp wanted to avoid a repeat of what happened to Duterte.

"Ayaw lang namin maulit ang ginawa kay Duterte. Hindi pa nga settled ang issue kay Duterte. Pinababalik pa nga natin siya. Dadalawahin pa ba natin?" he said.

(We don't a repeat of what happened to Duterte. The issue involving the former president has yet to be resolved. Should we have another one?)

Dela Rosa's camp has maintained that authorities must first secure a warrant from a local court before the senator can be arrested. Several legal experts, however, argue that a local warrant is not necessary.

The Office of the Solicitor General on Friday asked the Supreme Court to deny Dela Rosa's plea in connection with the ICC arrest warrant issued against him. — VDV, GMA News