Legal Counsel of Sen. Bato dela Rosa Speaks on Alleged ICC Arrest Warrant
BATO DELA ROSA – The Senator broke his silence on the alleged arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Sen. Dela Rosa has always been vocal about his belief that he is the allegedly the next target of the ICC following the arrest and the transfer of custody of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte. He was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the Duterte administration’s drug war.
Dela Rosa is also a known political-ally of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte who is currently detained under the ICC custody in The Hague, Netherlands. He is faced with three (3) counts of murder as alleged crimes against humanity. The ICC denied the interim release plea of former Pres. Duterte with a unanimous decision.
Recently, Ombudsman Boying Remulla claimed that the ICC has allegedly issued an arrest warrant against Sen. Bato dela Rosa. He did not give further details as he claimed that the information was allegedly relayed by officer-in-charge Secretary of Justice Eric Vida.
Recently, the camp of Sen. Bato dela Rosa broke their silence on the alleged arrest warrant issued by the ICC against the former PNP chief. According to his legal counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, they have been made aware about the reports on the supposed ICC arrest warrant.
According to Dela Rosa’s lawyer, currently, they still have yet to confirm whether or not it is true that the ICC has indeed issued a warrant of arrest against the Senator. Based on the report on GMA News, his camp urged the public and the media to be cautious with regards to the reports.
“At this point, we do not have independent confirmation as to whether or not this information is accurate. We therefore urge the public and the media to exercise caution and restraint in sharing or interpreting such reports until verified information is officially released by competent authorities or by the ICC itself,” Torreon said.
Furthermore, based on the report, the lawyer of Sen. Bato dela Rosa expressed his hope that if the ICC really issued an arrest warrant against his client, the government will uphold the rule of law in acting on it. He expects “due process” as well.
“If proven true, we trust that the Philippine Government will act in accordance with the rule of law, and that any such action shall first pass through the proper local judicial confirmation process consistent with our Constitution, due process, and the sovereign rights of the Republic of the Philippines,” the lawyer expressed.
According to Atty. Israelito Torreon, for now, they will wait for the official confirmation before speaking further on the issue. Previously, former Sen. Antonio Trillanes claimed that the ICC will allegedly release arrest warrants against senators Bato dela Rosa and Bong Go.