Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has elevated his plea for legal protection to the Supreme Court, filing an urgent manifestation on Monday to block any potential arrest or transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) without a local judicial warrant.
The manifestation, filed by the Law Firm of Torreon and Partners, warns that the window for judicial review is closing as executive actions appear to align for his turnover to the foreign tribunal.
“The events involving former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte demonstrate how quickly a person may be taken from Philippine territory once executive action is set in motion. In such a situation, judicial review may become practically difficult, if not ineffectual, once foreign custody is completed,” the law firm stated.
The senator’s camp described a “coordinated, three-layered enforcement strategy” involving a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) task force, an ICC arrest warrant—confirmed public by the ICC on Monday—and a Philippine National Police (PNP) subpoena.
Dela Rosa’s lawyers hit back at the PNP’s subpoena, which requires him to appear at Camp Crame on May 14 for an investigation into Davao City extrajudicial killings.
“This is fatal. A subpoena cannot be used as a convenient pretext to physically bring a person to Camp Crame while the Government awaits a possible international warrant or notice. That is not legitimate law enforcement. It is a surrogate arrest mechanism,” the manifestation added.
The senator, who resurfaced at the Senate on Monday after a months-long absence, remains under the protective custody of the upper chamber.
His return was marked by a confrontation with National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents who reportedly attempted to block his entry, causing minor injuries to his hand.