SENATOR Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has lost the protection accorded to him by the Senate the moment he escaped on Thursday.
This was emphasized by House Committee on Public Accounts chairperson and Bicol Saro Rep. Terry L. Ridon of Bicol Saro when asked about the
decision of the Senate to give Dela Rosa protective custody last Monday, May 11.
With the warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court (ICC), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) tried to arrest Dela Rosa.
“Ayoko na pag-usapan ‘yun kasi syempre mga senador naman po ‘yung magpapaliwanag po dun pero paliwanag ko na lang halimbawa ang protective custody sa House ‘no kung saan may actual ako na kararanasan,” Ridon said.
The lawmaker, who is a member of the Committee on Justice, recalled that the House granted protective custody to some flood control scam witnesses during its investigation into alleged flood control projects-related corruption.
“Noong kasagsagan ng flood control proceedings, nagkaroon ng protective custody sa ilang mga resource persons involved sa Bulacan flood control. So grinant po ito sa kanila, pero nag-decision sila na parang ayaw nilang manatili sa House area…noong umalis sila, nawala na yung protective custody,” Ridon, a lawyer from the University of the Philippines (UP), said.
He said Dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate on Thursday after the gunfire incident should have the same effect.
“So, I think similar to the situation of Sen. Bato, ganoon din po ‘yung practical effect na ‘yan. So the moment that they actually left the House or Senate grounds, there was no more protective custody,” he said.
Ridon, who is a member of the House prosecution panel in the looming Senate trial of Vice President Duterte, also said the expected absence of Dela Rosa in the Senate, when it is convened as an impeachment court and proceeds to trial, would have no effect on the required vote for conviction.
He said the threshold vote of 16 senators to convict the Vice President does not change, whether a senator or some senators are absent or, theoretically, suspended.
“Hindi ho nagbabago ‘yung threshold vote na kailangan po to convict an impeachable official. So 16 parin po ‘yun ang kailangan pong boto to convict. So irrespective of any suspension, it is still a 16-vote threshold that the prosecution will need to surmount to convict the Vice President,” he said.
He likewise said the preventive suspension of acting Senate Sergent-at-Arms Mao Aplasca by the Office of the Ombudsman should not delay the convening of the Senate as an impeachment court on Monday, as announced by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.
He said Alpaca’s deputies could take over the job of protecting senators and the Senate premises.
“Ang totoo naman po yung OSAA, pareho ng House at Senado naman po. Hindi lang naman ho iisang tao lang ‘yun, so I’m sure mayroon pong mga deputies, ‘yun pong current Sgt. of Arms na kaya pong mag-secure at mag-insure po ng safety ng lahat po ng mga taong papasok sa darating ponh Lunes,” he said.
“So tingin ko naman po hindi ho ‘yan magiging sagka doon po sa, una, session ng Senado, at pangalawa, doon po sa pagbubukas po ng Senate impeachment trial,” Ridon said.