Sen. Bato dela Rosa Attends Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on Duterte Arrest
BATO DELA ROSA – The Senator wants the Senate Foreign Relation panel’s findings on the arrest of former Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte submitted to United States Pres. Donald Trump.
Sen. Imee Marcos is one of the senators who visibly stand with former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte in his controversial arrest and the transfer of his custody to the International Criminal Court (ICC). She led a Senate committee investigation on the arrest of the former President.
Marcos claimed that she was shocked and she could not accept what was done to former Pres. Duterte. She invited several government officials and cabinet members to the inquiry in the upper chamber.
However, on the second day of the Senate committee investigation on Duterte’s arrest, Sen. Imee Marcos was left disappointed by the absence of the cabinet officials. Prior to it, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin sent a letter to Marcos invoking their executive privilege as they will skip the inquiry. The Senator asked Malacañang to reconsider their decision but they maintained their stand.
One of the lawmakers who were present at the Senate panel hearing on Duterte’s controversial arrest was his close ally, Sen. Bato dela Rosa. It was the first time that the former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief was spotted in the Senate since the arrest of his former boss.
At the Senate hearing, Sen. Imee Marcos claimed that the same private plane that brought former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte to The Hague, Netherlands was allegedly the same plane used by her brother, Pres. Bongbong Marcos, in his recent trip to Ilocos Norte.
Based on a report on Inquirer, at the Senate committee hearing, Sen. Bato dela Rosa expressed his desire that the Senate panel’s findings on the arrest of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte be submitted to United States Pres. Donald Trump. He wants the owner of the aircraft that carried Duterte to the Netherlands sanctioned.
Sen. Dela Rosa reportedly wants the assets of the owner of the aircraft Gulfstream G550 frozen if he has assets in the United States. He reiterated the statement of the U.S. President over the ICC interference on their allied nations.
“Dahil very clear yan sa executive order na inissue ni President Trump na mananagot kung sino mang mag facilitate ng mga interference ng ICC to their allied countries,” dela Rosa said.
Based on the report, the former PNP chief turned Senator believes that someone who has a Gulf Stream plane must also have properties in the United States. He warned the owner of the plane that carried Duterte to The Hague to “prepare for the repercussions of your action”.
Also present at the hearing was Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go who is another close ally of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Sen. Bong Go claimed that Duterte’s age was not considered in his arrest.