Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s camp said Thursday it is taking Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s statements seriously, after the latter said the government will arrest the lawmaker once a “validated ICC warrant” is issued. This came after the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/sc-denies-dela-rosa-s-motion-to-compel-remulla-to-produce-alleged-icc-warrant-1604">Supreme Court denied Dela Rosa and former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s petition </a>to compel Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to produce the alleged arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against the former PNP chief.The Ombudsman stated earlier<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/11/remulla-says-he-has-unofficial-copy-of-bato-s-icc-arrest-warrant-1754"> he received a copy</a> of the &quot;unofficial&quot; warrant for Dela Rosa over his supposed role in the previous administration&#x27;s bloody war on drugs.&quot;We take serious note of the public statement of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla that the Philippine government will arrest Senator Ronald &#x27;Bato&#x27; dela Rosa once a so-called &#x27;validated ICC warrant&#x27; is issued. This pronouncement is deeply alarming because it suggests the possible execution of a foreign process within the Philippines without any judicial authority from the Republic,&quot; lawyer Israelito Torreon said in a release.Combined with the Ombudsman&#x27;s announcement, Torreon said &quot;these admissions contradict earlier assertions that no government action exists. They demonstrate a real and credible threat to Senator dela Rosa’s liberty.&quot;Dela Rosa&#x27;s legal counsel insisted that the Philippines has no concept of a &quot;validated warrant&quot; and maintained that any warrant issued by the ICC, after the country&#x27;s withdrawal from the Rome Statute has &quot;no automatic force within the Philippine territory.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/12/bato-ready-to-join-duterte-at-the-hague-if-all-legal-options-fail-1853">Bato ready to join Duterte at The Hague &#x27;if all legal options fail&#x27;</a></div>&quot;Only a Philippine judge may determine probable cause for arrest under Article III, Section 2 of the Constitution and Rule 113 of the Rules of Court. Any form of validation by the Philippine Center for Transnational Crime, the Department of Justice, or INTERPOL cannot substitute for a judicial warrant issued by a Philippine court,&quot; he said.He also mentioned that the Philippine government may only &quot;surrender&quot; a person to an international tribunal in accordance with applicable extradition laws and applicable extradition treaties. &quot;At present, the Philippines has no extradition treaty with the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the state where the ICC sits, and the Philippines has no treaty or agreement with the ICC on the surrender of persons. Without such a treaty, Section 17 cannot be invoked and there is no lawful basis to implement any ICC warrant of arrest in the Philippines,&quot; Torreon said.Dela Rosa, who implemented the drug war in the early years of the Duterte administration, said earlier this year he is ready to join the former President who is currently detained at The Hague in the Netherlands  &quot;if all legal remedies are exhausted.&quot;<div> </div><div>&#x27;UNCONSTITUTIONAL ARREST&#x27;</div>Assuming there is indeed an ICC warrant, Torreon said Dela Rosa cannot be arrested or surrendered without meeting three requirements.&quot;First, a judicial warrant issued by a Philippine court; second, a proper extradition petition under Presidential Decree No. 1069; and third, a governing treaty on surrender, which is not in existence,&quot; he said.Torreon said if the Executive Branch will proceed to arrest the lawmaker without a warrant issued by a local judge, whether described as a validated warrant, Interpol notice, or any other foreign communication, the arrest will be &quot;unconstitutional and void.&quot;&quot;The Executive has no authority to deprive any citizen of liberty through a foreign directive that is not supported by domestic legal procedures. The government must be cautious of statements that undermine constitutional guarantees or imply that a foreign entity may compel arrests in Philippine territory without judicial oversight. The right to liberty, the right to due process, and the exclusive judicial power to issue warrants must remain protected at all times,&quot; Dela Rosa&#x27;s lawyer explained.Dela Rosa still trusts the high court, Torreon added.He said any attempt to arrest his client without a warrant issued by a Philippine judge &quot;will be met with all legal remedies available under the Constitution and the laws of the Republic.&quot;&quot;The issues raised in G.R. No. 278747 have become even more urgent because what is at stake is not only his personal liberty but also the constitutional structure that governs arrest and detention in the Philippines,&quot; he added.Earlier, Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe asked the SC to deny Dela Rosa&#x27;s urgent manifestation to take judicial notice of the statements of Ombudsman about an ICC warrant against the lawmaker. Berberabe said Remulla&#x27;s media pronouncements do not constitute an official act or declaration of the national government. Dela Rosa has so far<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/27/sotto-unhappy-with-bato-missing-defense-of-gov-t-agencies-budgets-2240"> missed to defend the 2026 budgets </a>of the government agencies assigned to him by the Senate Finance Committee. Senate President Vicente &quot;Tito&quot; Sotto III said he is not happy about Dela Rosa&#x27;s absence, but stressed it was not unprecedented among lawmakers, adding that some House lawmakers do not even show up for a whole year but still receive their salaries. He urged those criticizing Dela Rosa&#x27;s absence to <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/2/sotto-to-critics-of-dela-rosa-s-weekslong-absence-file-ethics-complaint-1423">file an ethics case</a>.

Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s camp said Thursday it is taking Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s statements seriously, after the latter said the government will arrest the lawmaker once a “validated ICC warrant” is issued.

Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s camp said Thursday it is taking Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s statements seriously, after the latter said the government will arrest the lawmaker once a “validated ICC warrant” is issued.

Bato's lawyer 'taking serious note' of DILG chief's statement on arrest

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Bato's lawyer 'taking serious note' of DILG chief's statement on arrest

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 04, 2025 04:46 PM PHT

Read More:

Bato dela Rosa

ICC

Arrest warrant

Jonvic Remulla

Jesus Crispin Remulla

The Hague

International Criminal Court

Drug war

Rodrigo Duterte

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