Sen. Bato dela Rosa Speaks on Arrest Warrant vs. Former Pres. Duterte
BATO DELA ROSA – The Senator explained that there is no question on the validity of the arrest warrant against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte is undeniably one of the most controversial issues in the Philippine political arena now. There are questions on whether or not there was due process over the arrest and the transfer of the custody of the former President to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Pres. Bongbong Marcos previously stressed that Duterte’s arrest following the legal process. He also denied that it is political persecution saying that the issue between the ICC and the former President is already existing even before he became the president of the country.
Malacañang also defended Pres. Bongbong Marcos saying he did not betray anyone over the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. According to the Palace, the government only did its job and honored its commitment with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Sen. Bato dela Rosa claimed that Duterte’s arrest is a “betrayal to the max” by Pres. Marcos. According to him, the Chief Executive betrayed the Filipino people and the country when the government surrendered the former President to the foreign court.
Recently, Dela Rosa who is also faced with a looming arrest warrant issue spoke anew about the arrest of former Pres. Duterte. The Senator was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the heightened implementation of the war on drugs of the Duterte administration.
Based on a report on Inquirer, Sen. Bato dela Rosa expressed that there is no question on the validity of the arrest warrant against former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Speaking to dwIZ, the Senator admitted that the former President could have been sent back to the Philippines in case the arrest warrant was not valid.
“Otherwise, Duterte should have been released (from detention) and returned to the country if there’s no warrant of arrest. So there’s no question about the validity of the warrant,” Dela Rosa said.
According to Sen. Bato dela Rosa, what remains questionable is the decision of the Philippine government to respond to the coordination request of the Interpol. Based on the report, the Senator insisted that Pres. Bongbong Marcos could have refused to cooperate with the Interpol in serving the arrest warrant.
Recently, Sen. Bato dela Rosa also claimed that the Marcos administration is “blinded by politics” over the arrest of Duterte. The Senator previously said he might hide from the authorities if the ICC also issues an arrest warrant against him.