đź“·PCO Undersecretary Atty. Claire CastroÂ
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Monday, March 24, criticized Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for implying that evading an arrest warrant is permissible, warning that such statements set a “dangerous precedent.”
In a press briefing, Castro responded to Dela Rosa’s recent remarks questioning the legitimacy of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s March 11 arrest.
The senator, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during the Duterte administration, had argued that the arrest undermined national sovereignty.
Over the weekend, Dela Rosa directly challenged Castro, asking whether she would willingly surrender to authorities despite what he called “injustices” surrounding Duterte’s arrest.
Castro rejected this narrative, stressing the importance of upholding the law. She pointed out that Dela Rosa acknowledged the arrest warrant’s validity.
“Kung siya man po ay magtatago, hindi magandang maging modelo ang katulad ni Senator Bato, na dati nang naging PNP chief. Hindi magiging magandang modelo iyan, dahil iyan po ay nag-e-enganyo sa taong-bayan na kapag may warrant of arrest ay kailangan ng magtago na lamang,” she said.
She also dismissed claims that the government was surrendering sovereignty, adding, “Sino ba ang naunang magsuko ng ibang parte natin karapatan sa ibang bansa, tayo po ba?”
This comes in the wake of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest on March 11 at Manila’s main airport, following a “secret arrest warrant” issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to his “war on drugs.”
Dela Rosa, who oversaw the controversial anti-drug campaign, has expressed concerns about potential ICC arrest warrants against him.
He sought protection from Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, questioning the government’s cooperation with the ICC despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the court in 2019. (TCSP)
