Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Wednesday said the copy of the alleged International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa reportedly obtained by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla was from a “third source.”
“Sa telepono lang kami nagkausap. Ang sinabi niya sa akin, nakuha niya ang electronic copy from a third source. So, hindi po galing sa ICC,” Jonvic told Dobol B TV in an interview.
(We talked on the phone. He told me he got the electronic copy from a third source. So, it’s not from the ICC.)
“But in form and in function, mukha siyang official. But as far as we are concerned kasi, basta nasa security aparatus ka, dapat actionable document. Dapat dumating talaga,” added Jonvic, the Ombudsman’s brother.
(But in form and in function, it looks official. But as far as we are concerned, when you’re in security apparatus, you need an actionable document. The official copy should be sent.)
He refused to comment when asked how the Philippine National Police (PNP) will implement a possible ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa. He said authorities would wait first for an official copy of the order.
On November 8, Ombudsman Remulla said the ICC has issued a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa.
The DILG earlier said that no red notice from ICC has been received yet by the Center for Transnational Crime.
ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah told GMA Integrated News that “ICC news can be found only on ICC official communications channels and press releases, and you can see that we still have only one case currently, the one against Mr. Duterte.”
On Tuesday, the Ombudsman said he has an unofficial copy of the arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa’s camp previously said it has yet to secure official information that the ICC has indeed issued a warrant against him.
The senator’s counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, also said they have been made aware of circulating reports.
Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays.
Dela Rosa was the chief of the Philippine National Police when the war on drugs was implemented under the Duterte administration. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
