The camp of Senator Ronald dela Rosa on Monday rejected claims that he is a fugitive from justice, insisting there is no legal basis to arrest or prevent him from leaving the country over an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant tied to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Lawyer Israelito Torreon said the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) failed to answer what he described as the “central constitutional issue” of whether the government can enforce an ICC arrest warrant without a Philippine court order.
Torreon stressed there is no Philippine court-issued warrant or domestic criminal case pending against Dela Rosa.
“Senator Dela Rosa is not a fugitive from justice. That characterization is legally baseless and unfair,” Torreon said.
The camp also refused to disclose Dela Rosa’s whereabouts amid speculation that authorities may move to arrest him.
“As to his current location, we cannot comment on such a matter,” Torreon said.
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Party deputy spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio has criticized Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida over remarks that Dela Rosa could be arrested if he attempts to leave the country.
No HDO
Topacio argued there is no hold departure order or arrest warrant issued by any Philippine court against the senator, making any move to stop him legally questionable.
Topacio warned that enforcing an ICC warrant without domestic court recognition would violate Dela Rosa’s constitutional right to travel.
The controversy escalated after former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV appeared at the Senate claiming he possessed a copy of the alleged ICC warrant and that National Bureau of Investigation personnel were ready to serve it.
On 11 May, Dela Rosa resurfaced in the Senate after months of absence and later claimed that NBI agents tried to block his entry into the plenary hall.
The Senate subsequently placed him under protective custody.
Two days later, an exchange of gunfire erupted inside the Senate premises between the chamber’s security personnel and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation. No injuries were reported.
Dela Rosa later left the Senate premises before dawn on 14 May.
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano defended Dela Rosa’s departure, saying there was “nothing illegal” about it because no Philippine court had issued a warrant for his arrest.
