By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday declined to confirm mounting speculation that authorities had arrested Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in connection with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying any such operation falls under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said he had no information indicating that the former Philippine National Police chief had been taken into custody, stressing that any action to enforce an arrest warrant is a matter for the country’s law enforcement authorities.
“I really have no information or data. I think it’s more of a law enforcement matter at this time,” Vida told reporters in a chance interview.
DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez echoed the same position during a separate press briefing, saying the department had not received any official report confirming that Dela Rosa had already been arrested.
Rumors of the senator’s supposed arrest spread rapidly on social media Wednesday afternoon, fueling fresh speculation over the status of the ICC case against one of the principal architects of the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Adding to the speculation, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque posted on Facebook that someone may have betrayed Dela Rosa, a remark that further intensified public interest but stopped short of confirming any arrest.
Dela Rosa has remained largely out of public view since May after the ICC’s arrest warrant against him became public.
The warrant, which had been issued under seal on Nov. 6 last year, was unsealed on May 11, the same day Dela Rosa unexpectedly appeared at the Senate to participate in the vote that installed Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President.
Following that session, the senator left the Senate premises after being placed under what was then described as “protective custody” by Cayetano. The Senate leadership has since changed, with Sherwin Gatchalian assuming the Senate presidency.
Earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed Dela Rosa’s petition seeking to stop Philippine authorities from enforcing the ICC warrant, ruling that his request for a temporary restraining order lacked merit.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I has accused Dela Rosa of crimes against humanity, alleging that he bears responsibility for the killings of at least 32 individuals during the anti-drug campaign conducted from July 2016 to April 2018.
The ICC has previously emphasized that the implementation of its arrest warrants ultimately depends on the cooperation of national authorities. Court spokesperson Oriane Maillet earlier said the execution of arrest requests remains the responsibility of the Philippine government.
As of Wednesday afternoon, no Philippine law enforcement agency had issued an official statement confirming that Dela Rosa had been arrested, leaving the circulating reports unverified while authorities maintained their silence.
ia/xf
