MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the preliminary investigation of an obstruction of justice complaint filed against him.
The complaint stems from allegations that he assisted Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in avoiding arrest following a tense standoff at the Senate.
Padilla strongly rejected the accusations, arguing that Dela Rosa could not have been fleeing authorities because no local arrest warrant had been served or presented at the time.
“Hindi naman pagtakas ‘yon. Pero wala naman [Philippine-issued warrant of arrest] eh,” Padilla told reporters during an ambush interview.
He further noted that Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla previously confirmed during a Senate visit that he was not carrying any active local warrant.
“Galing din naman sa bibig ng ating kaibigan na si DILG Secretary [Jonvic Remulla] noong oras na ‘yon, noong andon siya sa senado, wala talaga siyang hawak na warrant of arrest,” he added.
Padilla’s legal counsel, Atty. Henry Balteza, corroborated this defense, emphasizing that no International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant was in legal effect during the incident.
“Wala pa pong standing warrant of the ICC [at the time of the incident]. We stand by it,” Balteza stated.
Balteza confirmed that a 33-page counter-affidavit addressing the allegations has been officially filed, though he declined to elaborate on the specifics discussed during the preliminary proceedings.
When asked if he would encourage Dela Rosa to surrender, Padilla responded firmly in the negative.
“Kung ICC ‘to, kahit naman ako, hindi rin ako susuko. Right ‘yan ni [Sen.] Bato… Wala naman akong nakitang local warrant of arrest. Walang local court na naghahanap sa kanya. Dayuhan ito. Umiinit ang ulo ko ah,” he said.
In addition to the evasion claims, Padilla questioned the rationale behind a ₱50-million monetary reward offered for information leading to Dela Rosa’s arrest.
“Kung ako ang tatanungin, bakit nagkaron tayo ng ganun [pabuya]? Sana walang ganun,” he remarked.
Asked if he had any message for Dela Rosa, Padilla expressed a sense of irony, noting that he felt a form of envy because his colleague is being pursued by foreign entities, whereas he faces legal complaints initiated by fellow Filipinos.