Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has issued a direct challenge to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla to ensure that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa does not evade justice following the unsealing of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
The call for heightened vigilance comes after National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives attempted to serve the warrant at the Senate on Monday, marking a significant escalation in the international legal proceedings against the architects of the Duterte-era drug war.
Trillanes emphasized that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) must utilize all resources to prevent the former police chief from fleeing.
“Unang-una po, kailangan bantayan ito ni Secretary Remulla. ’Yung pinagmamalaki niyang dragnet, ito na. Kailangan hindi ’yan makalabas kasi maraming butas ’yang opisina ng Senado.”
The former naval officer turned senator expressed confidence that the judicial process would eventually catch up with Dela Rosa, despite the political complexities of enforcing an international warrant on Philippine soil.
“So, ito po, antayin na lang po natin kung ano ang magiging pasya ng mga awtoridad. Pero definitely mananagot at mananagot po itong si Bato dela Rosa.”
The unsealed warrant names Dela Rosa as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in crimes against humanity, specifically murder, during his tenure as chief of the Philippine National Police.
The NBI’s presence at the Senate signals a growing pressure on local law enforcement to cooperate with the ICC, even as the administration balances its domestic and international legal obligations.