By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Former Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has formally submitted his counter-affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with the obstruction of justice complaint filed against him over the alleged escape of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from authorities earlier this year.
In a statement released Thursday, the Ombudsman confirmed that it received Cayetano’s response on Wednesday as part of the preliminary investigation into the complaint lodged by members of the civil society group Tindig Pilipinas.
The complaint also names Sen. Robin Padilla and former Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Ma. Roberto Aplasca as respondents.
The anti-graft body said the three officials were directed on June 23 to submit their respective counter-affidavits within a non-extendible 15-day period.
As of Thursday, only Cayetano had complied with the directive. Padilla and Aplasca have yet to file their responses.
The Ombudsman warned that if the remaining respondents fail to submit their counter-affidavits within the prescribed period, the case will proceed based on the evidence already on record, and no further pleadings or documents will be accepted.
The complaint stems from the events of May 11, when agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), armed with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), attempted to arrest Dela Rosa after he surfaced at the Senate following more than six months out of public view.
The operation failed after Dela Rosa was granted protective custody inside the Senate by Cayetano, who was then serving as Senate president.
The standoff escalated on May 13 when a shooting incident erupted between personnel of the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and NBI operatives at the GSIS Complex.
Hours later, Dela Rosa reportedly left the Senate premises aboard a vehicle driven by Padilla before going back into hiding.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has since concluded that the senator’s departure was not a simple ride but a coordinated effort allegedly intended to help him evade law enforcement authorities.
The Ombudsman has yet to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to file formal charges against the respondents following the conclusion of its preliminary investigation.
ia/xf
