The Philippine Air Force (PAF) said they have not received any official instruction related to the possible transfer of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to The Hague amid reports linking him to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said the Air Force remains under normal operations and is currently on white alert status.
“The Philippine Air Force has not received any official directive. Actually, we are on white alert status as of now,” Basco said.
She added that military operations at Villamor Air Base, the PAF headquarters in Pasay City, remain routine despite speculation circulating online since Monday night.
“Many were asking about it since last night. We are undergoing normal air operations, routine operations. That is the status of Villamor Air Base as of now,” Basco said.
The clarification came after claims surfaced that authorities were preparing to transport Dela Rosa to The Hague, where the ICC is conducting proceedings related to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The ICC earlier issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, identifying him as one of the alleged co-perpetrators alongside former president Rodrigo Duterte in a crimes against humanity case pending before the tribunal.
The Air Force previously assisted in the transport of Duterte to The Hague following his arrest in March last year based on an ICC warrant.
Basco stressed that there have been no unusual movements or preparations at Villamor Air Base connected to Dela Rosa’s supposed transfer.
“Again, I’d like to reiterate, we have not received any official directives, coordinations, requests regarding that,” she said.
Earlier, lawyer Israelito Torreon claimed that a Philippine National Police team was prepared to arrest his client and that an aircraft had supposedly been readied for the senator’s transport to the Netherlands.
However, Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad dismissed social media reports alleging that a Gulfstream aircraft was already on standby for the operation.
According to Trinidad, the photos being circulated online were taken during a previous mission and were unrelated to Dela Rosa’s case.
“It is not for this particular incident,” Trinidad said.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla confirmed that Marine troops have been deployed around the Senate compound to assist in securing the area.
Padilla clarified that the deployment was part of standard security procedures and noted that Marines have also previously been assigned to secure Malacañang and the Rizal Monument.
“The role of our Marines there is for perimeter security,” Padilla said.