After Senate President Tito Sotto III said Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa will not be sanctioned for his absence in the Senate due to an allegedly existing arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the bloody war on drugs during the presidency of arrested former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, an ICC official maintained that he has to fulfill his obligations as a lawmaker, and not hide from the court.
Senator Dela Rosa has been absent for more than 20 days now, but Sotto said there is no sanction for absent Senators, saying they are old enough to do what is right for their lives.
“Concerned ako na patapos na ang taon, absent siya. Simpleng government employee ka nga eh, a-absent ka ng tatlong linggo, machu-chugi ka na. Bakit siya kaya pwede na lang hindi pumasok?” said ICC assistant to counsel Atty. Kristina Conti on Sunday.
Senator Dela Rosa did not even defend the budget deliberation for the Department of National Defense, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, among other agencies, last week, prompting Conti to hit the lawmaker.
Instead, Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian presided over the budget deliberation.
“Ang alalahanin din niya, senador siya at kailangan niyang gampanan ang tungkulin niya. Hindi siya inelect para lang protektahan si Duterte. Inelect siya para protektahan ang bayan,” she added.
It is also not clear whether the absence of Senator Dela Rosa was official and filed at the Senate of the Philippines.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla confirmed that the digital copy of the Arrest Warrant of Senator Bato from the International Criminal Court (ICC) was already signed electronically.
But as of 25 November, the Department of Justice said they haven’t received any warrant of arrest against Senator Dela Rosa while the Supreme Court had asked the DOJ to issue a comment for ten days on the Temporary Restraining Order filed by the lawmaker.
The Senator even posted on his official Facebook page his message for the celebration of Bonifacio Day, stating in Filipino: “Let us remember and live the courage and love shown to the country by Gat Andres Bonifacio. Love the Philippines and do not bow down to foreigners. Always value and fight for our freedom!”
The DAILY TRIBUNE tried to ask Senator Dela Rosa’s Senate communications team whether the lawmaker is still in the country, but they haven’t responded to our query.