MANILA — Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal team slammed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla for spreading what it described as a fabricated story about the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Atty. Nicholas Kaufman, Duterte’s counsel in the ICC’s crimes against humanity case, dismissed the report as entirely baseless, saying it was “a figment of Ombudsman Remulla’s fertile imagination.”
“It goes against all common sense and prosecutorial logic for the ICC to issue further warrants in the context of the Philippines investigation until the issue of its ability to exercise jurisdiction over the so-called war on drugs has been finally resolved on appeal,” Kaufman said.
Remulla earlier claimed in a radio interview that he had “received word” that the ICC had supposedly released a warrant against Dela Rosa — the former police chief who spearheaded Duterte’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
The ICC, however, has yet to confirm the existence of any such warrant.
The tribunal had previously rejected the Philippine government’s challenge to its jurisdiction, maintaining that its probe into alleged crimes against humanity during the “war on drugs” remains valid since it began before the country’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute took effect.
Duterte’s camp has since appealed the ruling.
Meanwhile, Department of Justice spokesperson Polo Martinez said the agency is verifying the veracity of reports about the alleged warrant.
Dela Rosa’s camp likewise urged restraint, advising the public and the media to avoid speculation and wait for official confirmation.
As of press time, no document or formal statement from the ICC confirms any arrest warrant for the senator./PN
