By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – The Senate on Monday placed Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa under protective custody after concerns were raised over the alleged monitoring of the senator within Senate premises amid reports of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
The motion was made by Senator Rodante Marcoleta during plenary session after a closed-circuit television footage was presented showing individuals allegedly following Dela Rosa inside the Senate complex earlier in the day.
“We have seen it all. I think this is the best evidence that can prove that the good senator, our colleague in this institution, is being chased by authorities,” Marcoleta said.
Marcoleta questioned the involvement of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), saying matters involving international law enforcement coordination should normally pass through the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), which serves as the country’s Interpol (International Criminal Police Organization) counterpart.
He also criticized former senator Antonio Trillanes IV for publicly presenting what he claimed was a copy of an alleged ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa.
“Is former Senator Trillanes now the sheriff of the ICC?,” Marcoleta said.
He described the incident as an “insult” to the Senate and moved that Dela Rosa be placed under Senate protective custody under Senate Resolution No. 44 while he exhausts available legal remedies.
Marcoleta also cited Article 59 of the Rome Statute, saying any person subject to an ICC warrant must first be brought before a competent judicial authority to verify identity, determine whether legal procedures were followed, and ensure that rights are protected.
Newly elected Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano approved the motion after no senator raised any objection.
“The motion is consistent with our rules, is consistent with Senate Resolution Number 44, is consistent with precedence,” Cayetano said.
He added dela Rosa would “enjoy the protection of the law and the protection of the Senate” in accordance with Senate rules and Philippine laws.
Dela Rosa earlier returned to the Senate after months of absence amid reports linking him to an alleged ICC warrant connected to the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. (PNA)
