MANILA — The camp of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has challenged Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to substantiate his claim that the government is negotiating with the senator’s alleged “powerful protectors,” while criticizing his reference to possible “body bags” in efforts to bring the lawmaker into custody.
Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Atty. Israelito Torreon, said they were unaware of any individuals supposedly shielding the senator, who has remained out of public view following the issuance of an arrest warrant against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“With utmost respect to Secretary Remulla, we have no personal knowledge of these supposed ‘powerful protectors’ of Senator Dela Rosa,” Torreon said in a social media post.
“What we do know is that Senator Dela Rosa is a deeply prayerful man who places his faith in Almighty God, his one and only Protector,” he added.
Torreon also took exception to Remulla’s reference to “body bags,” saying such language from the head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government could cause alarm among Dela Rosa’s family, supporters and the public.
“It is therefore unfortunate that the language of ‘body bags’ should enter the public discourse concerning a sitting Senator of the Republic,” he said.
“Words of this nature, particularly when coming from the head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, carry enormous weight and may understandably cause apprehension among the Senator’s family, supporters, and the Filipino public.”
Torreon also renewed his camp’s opposition to the government’s cooperation with the ICC, arguing that accountability involving Filipino citizens should be pursued under Philippine laws and before Philippine courts.
“Rather than devote the resources and authority of the Philippine Government toward apprehending a Filipino citizen for surrender to a foreign tribunal, we respectfully hope that the same determination will be exerted in defending the sovereignty of the Republic and the integrity of our own judicial institutions,” he said.
“This is not a call for anyone to evade lawful accountability. It is a call for accountability to be pursued in accordance with the Philippine Constitution and Philippine laws, before Philippine courts, and with full respect for our sovereignty and the rights of every Filipino citizen,” he added.
Torreon then appealed directly to Remulla to use his influence within the Marcos administration to persuade President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to reconsider the government’s policy toward the ICC.
“We continue to hold Secretary Remulla in high regard. It is precisely because of the importance of his office and his influence within the administration that we respectfully appeal to him to exert whatever lawful influence he may have upon the President to reconsider — and, we hope, make a detour from — the present policy of facilitating the surrender of Filipino citizens to the International Criminal Court,” Torreon said.
“We remain hopeful that this difficult national issue can be addressed through law, reason, and respect for our constitutional institutions — not through rhetoric about ‘body bags’ or the specter of bloodshed,” he concluded.
Dela Rosa has remained out of public view after the ICC issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign./PN
