Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV questioned the loyalty of Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to the Marcos Jr. administration and his competence in office.
“Lahat ng pugante malaya under Secretary Jonvic dahil hindi niya ginagawa ang trabaho niya,” Trillanes said on Ted Failon and DJ Cha-cha’s program on True FM this morning.
(“All fugitives are free under Secretary Jonvic because he’s not doing his job.”)
Trillanes noted that as early as last year, Remulla’s own brother, Ombudsman Boying Remulla, revealed he had seen the ICC arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Yet the DILG chief failed to act.
“Wala ba info si Jonvic na may warrant na si Bato? Ang nakakatawa rito, last year yung kapatid nya ang nag-anunsyo na may warrant si Bato, kapatid nya yun, bakit di nya tinanong? Bakit hindi niya pinahanap kung may warrant?”
(“Does Jonvic not know Bato has a warrant? The funny thing is, last year his own brother announced it. Why didn’t he ask? Why didn’t he order a search if there was a warrant?”)
“Nagdududa na ako kay Jonvic, kanino ba talaga siya kakampi?” he pressed further.
(“I’m beginning to doubt Jonvic. Whose side is he really on?”)
Trillanes recalled that on May 9, 2026, Remulla boasted of mobilizing 10,000 personnel for a dragnet operation to capture Dela Rosa, only to backtrack later, claiming the ICC warrant could not be enforced.
He emphasized that the Senate’s grant of protective custody to Dela Rosa was illegal, since crimes against humanity carry a life sentence,far beyond the six-year limit for which the Senate can extend protection to its members.
Trillanes also rebuked Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s claim that Bato could not be arrested while the Senate was in session, pointing out that both he and former Sen. Leila de Lima were arrested during session.
Convinced that the Supreme Court will not issue a TRO to block the ICC warrant,as it did in Rodrigo Duterte’s case,Trillanes clarified that the ICC warrant he presented in the Senate yesterday was an NBI copy.
“Unang-una ako ay andun sa Senado dahil nagkaroon ng ugong ugong over the weekend na lalabas si Bato dahil sa change of leadership. May personal request siya dati na samahan ko ang mag-aarestosa kanya kaya andun ako para samahan ang NBI,”
(“First of all, I was in the Senate because there was buzz over the weekend that Bato might show up due to the change in leadership. He had personally requested before that I accompany those who would arrest him, so I was there to join the NBI.”) # (RRN)
