Alan Cayetano: Bato seeking protection from Senate ‘legitimate’

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano considers as legitimate the intention of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s to seek refuge in the Senate should a warrant of arrest from the International Criminal Court be issued against him.

“The Senate will always protect the institution but it doesn't want a constitutional crisis... My personal stand, I'm avoiding politics, I'm avoiding partisanship but yung pinaka-basic is due process and being able to seek legal remedies,” Cayetano said in an ambush interview.

“Kung ang isi-seek ni Senator Bato is more of sanctuary while you are seeking legal remedies or due process, legitimate 'yan,” he added. 

Cayetano said this as the petition that Dela Rosa and former president Rodrigo Duterte before the Supreme Court, which seeks to permanently prohibit Philippine government’s cooperation with the ICC, is still pending. 

“I'm hoping that by the time maglabas ang ICC if and when maglabas, there will be some guidance from the Supreme Court…The concept of sanctuary is to protect the legal right of the senators and the integrity of the Senate,” he said.

On Wednesday, Dela Rosa said he will ask Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero not to surrender him to authorities until the 19th Congress’ session is adjourned if the warrant of arrest is already issued by the ICC. 

“Kausapin ko siguro (si Escudero)…[I will request] na hindi niya muna ako i-surrender hangga’t kaya niya, habang hindi pa kami adjourned. Pwede naman niyang gawin yan,” Dela Rosa said. 

“Hangga’t kaya ng Senate President [na] kupkupin muna ako na hindi muna niya ako i-surrender kung may warrant of arrest na [at] may session kami. I hope respetuhin din siya ng executive branch of government kasi meron naman yang mga ganon na protocol,” he added.

(I would probably talk to Senator Escudero… I will request him not to surrender me if there is a warrant of arrest and we are already in session. I hope the executive branch respects him as there are protocols regarding that.)

Dela Rosa, who earlier described himself as the number two accused in the ICC investigation into Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, served as the chief of the Philippine National Police when the former president launched his deadly campaign against illegal drugs. 

Duterte is currently in ICC’s custody in The Hague, Netherlands. 

According to an AFP report, the 79-year-old former chief executive will appear before judges today for a hearing where he will be informed of the crimes he is alleged to have committed, as well as his rights as a defendant.

Duterte is facing charges of alleged crimes against humanity before the ICC due to his controversial war on drugs. 

According to the arrest warrant, the ICC pre-trial chamber found reasonable grounds to believe he was "individually responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder" in connection with the killings blamed on his war on drugs.

It stated that the Duterte Death Squad (DDS) and Philippine law enforcement personnel under his leadership targeted persons allegedly involved in drug-related criminal activities.

Government records show that there were at least 6,200 drug suspects killed in police operations from June 2016 to November 2021, but several human rights groups have refuted this and say that the number may have reached as much as 30,000 due to unreported related killings. —RF, GMA Integrated News