📷Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero said on Monday, March 17, that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa may seek refuge within Senate premises should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against him, for as long as legal remedies remain available.
“Hindi para sa akin na pigilan si Senator Bato na magtungo dito. Desisyon niya ‘yon, pero ang hangganan siguro no’n ay hanggang makakuha at klaro na kung ano ang magiging pasya ng korte kaugnay sa kanyang pag-avail ng kanyang judicial remedies na karapatan niya. Hindi lamang bilang senador, bilang isang ordinaryong mamamayan,” Escudero said in a press conference when asked about the possibility of dela Rosa seeking refuge in the Senate.
“Ang isang sinabi ko sa kanya, we will try to afford him every opportunity to avail of legal remedies that he is entitled to,” he added.
According to Escudero, this has been the practice observed by the previous Senate chiefs and the tradition in line with the Senate’s rules.
Escudero likewise cited past instances where senators sought refuge in the Senate while arrest warrants were being served against them.
In 1990, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile was arrested on rebellion charges linked to a failed coup attempt against President Corazon Aquino.
Similarly, former army colonel turned former senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan led several coup attempts against the Aquino administration in the late 1980s. After these failed coups, he went into hiding and was later granted amnesty in 1992.
In 2001, former Senator Panfilo Lacson went into hiding after a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with the Dacer-Corbito case, only resurfacing after the charges were dropped.
Similarly, in 2007, former Senate President Antonio Trillanes IV, then a newly elected senator, was arrested and detained for his involvement in the Oakwood Mutiny. Despite being in detention, he continued to perform legislative duties remotely.
Dela Rosa has already expressed his intention to peacefully surrender to law enforcement if the ICC issues a warrant for his arrest.
In an interview with ANC, he acknowledged that any protection he might receive from the Senate would be temporary, stating that once such protection ends, he would comply with the legal process.
Dela Rosa served as the national police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte and was a principal architect of the administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign. This campaign, characterized by widespread allegations of extrajudicial killings, has led to an estimated 6,200 deaths, though activists claim the actual numbers are much higher.
The ICC is currently investigating these actions, with both Duterte and Dela Rosa among the subjects of the probe.
“I dont wan’t to engage with my former subordinates in a gunfight. It’s gonna be useless,” Dela Rosa said.
“Alangan makipag-barilan ako sa kanila. I’ll talk to them… I’ll have a little discourse with them. If they insist on bringing me to the ICC then they can have me,” he said. (TCSP)
