The Philippine Senate’s decision to place Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa under “protective custody” amid an impending arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) drew condemnation from human rights groups and families of drug war victims, who accused the Senate of obstructing justice and shielding a key architect of the Duterte administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
Human rights alliance Karapatan said the Senate is effectively harboring an international fugitive after the ICC confirmed the issuance of an arrest warrant against dela Rosa for alleged crimes against humanity linked to the “war on drugs.”
“We are here to remind the Marcos Jr. administration and the Senate that they are harboring an international fugitive. He is not a simple criminal,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.
Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), was identified by the ICC as an alleged indirect co-perpetrator in the widespread and systematic killings carried out under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
The senator was reportedly placed under Senate “protective custody” following a leadership change in the chamber on May 11 which created a new pro-Duterte majority in the house. The move came after reports that dela Rosa had been in hiding for several months amid fears of arrest.
Tensions escalated on May 13 after a standoff erupted inside the Senate building over the pending ICC warrant. Journalists inside the premises reported hearing at least 10 gunshots. By May 14, dela Rosa had reportedly left the Senate compound, with his whereabouts unknown.
“The compromised safety of journalists, employees, and officials inside the Senate premises is precisely the reason why the Senate and Bato should be held accountable,” Palabay said. “They are putting ordinary people in danger.”
The Supreme Court earlier declined to issue a temporary restraining order sought by dela Rosa but ordered him to submit his comment within 72 hours beginning May 13.
National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) president Ephraim Cortez said the ICC warrant remains enforceable despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
“The warrant is valid,” Cortez said. “The Philippine government continues to have obligations over crimes committed while the country was still under ICC jurisdiction.”
Cortez cited Article 27 of the Rome Statute, which states that official position or immunity cannot prevent the ICC from exercising jurisdiction over an accused individual.
He also pointed to Republic Act 9851, which recognizes universal jurisdiction over crimes against humanity and allows Philippine authorities to surrender accused persons to international tribunals already conducting investigations.
Cortez criticized statements from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PNP claiming that ICC warrants must first pass through the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC).
“The authority of the PCTC is limited to transnational crimes. It does not include crimes against humanity,” he said. “The arrest warrant can be implemented even without the involvement of the PCTC.”
Jojo Lacanilao, convenor of the Duterte Panagutin Campaign Network, said efforts to shield dela Rosa amount to obstruction of justice.
“The protective custody granted to Bato has no basis in law,” Lacanilao said. “This sets a dangerous precedent for other identified co-perpetrators.”
Families of victims of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign also demanded accountability, saying poor Filipinos were denied the legal protections now being extended to dela Rosa.
Llore Pasco of Rise Up for Life and for Rights, whose two sons were killed in 2017, said victims’ families were systematically prevented from pursuing justice.
“We could not even obtain police and autopsy reports,” Pasco said. “Some death certificates even contained fabricated causes of death.”
Sally Ramos, whose daughter Criseta was killed by unidentified gunmen in 2017, said authorities failed to investigate the case.
“We are poor. We received no support from the government, not even burial assistance,” Ramos said. “Since then, I stopped believing justice could be served in this country.”
Another mother, Dahlia Cuartero, said the Senate’s protection of dela Rosa exposed the glaring inequality suffered by victims’ families.
“Our families were never given due process,” she said.
Dela Rosa is the second Filipino publicly confirmed to have an ICC arrest warrant in connection with Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. The ICC has also identified several other alleged co-perpetrators, including Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, Vicente Danao, the late Camilo Cascolan, Oscar Albayalde, and Isidro Lapeña.
Post Views: 108
