Malacañang said Sunday that the country’s law enforcement agencies have enough manpower and authority to go after Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is now being sought over an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the Philippine National Police, (PNP) its Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) are already handling efforts to serve the warrant against Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief who later became senator.
“For now, it seems the forces of the PNP, NBI and CIDG are sufficient,” Castro said in Filipino during a radio interview.
Her statement came after Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III, also a former PNP chief, said he was open to helping arrest Dela Rosa if he is found within the MMDA’s jurisdiction, including Metro Manila’s streets, canals or sewers.
Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not issued any directive for Torre to join the operation. However, she said even ordinary citizens may help authorities if they spot Dela Rosa, whom she described as a fugitive from justice.
“All Filipinos can help when they see a fugitive,” Castro said.
Torre, before his retirement from the police service, figured prominently in the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is also facing proceedings before the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the drug war. Torre also led the operation that resulted in the arrest of Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy.
Castro said the Department of Justice had already directed the NBI and asked the PNP to serve the warrant against Dela Rosa after the Supreme Court rejected his plea for a temporary restraining order to stop his arrest.
She also cited the position of Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe that the ICC warrant does not need to pass through a local court before it can be enforced.
“There is no need to go through the local court. That is also what SolGen Berberabe said,” Castro said.
According to Castro, the government is also acting under Republic Act No. 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity. The law, enacted in 2009, provides the legal basis for Philippine authorities to surrender or extradite suspects to international tribunals, including the ICC, in the interest of justice.
Castro said the same legal principles would apply if arrest warrants are issued against other co-accused of Duterte and Dela Rosa in the crimes against humanity case before the ICC.
“Yes, it will still be the same,” she said when asked whether the process would also cover other accused individuals.
Dela Rosa was earlier placed under the protective custody of the Senate, a status that the NBI respected while waiting for the Supreme Court’s action on his petition. He later left the Senate before the high court issued its ruling on the TRO request.
Authorities are now searching for Dela Rosa.
Castro urged the senator to surrender and face the charges against him, saying that as a former law enforcer, he should be the first to respect the law.
She said Dela Rosa should set an example instead of hiding from authorities.