International Court Might Be After Ex-Police Chief
After the recent arrest of a former president due to international criminal charges, another prominent figure might be heading down the same path. The former national police chief, who served under the same administration, is rumoured to be facing a warrant of arrest from an international court.
A Warrant Allegedly Issued for Senator "Bato"
The news about the potential arrest of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who was previously the national police chief, was shared by an authoritative figure with a background in justice affairs. This official claimed that the international court has issued a warrant for dela Rosa, primarily because of his role in a contentious drug war.
The department that this official previously headed, a central justice authority, is now led by Fredderick Vida. The department is still trying to confirm this worrying information. "We are in the process of validating this news. We haven't yet received or seen a copy of the purported arrest warrant. We will share more details as they are made available," said a spokesperson for the department.
Unclear if Other Authorities Are Aware
Meanwhile, the chief of the interior and local government department, Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla, stated he hadn't been updated about any such developments. He confirmed that as per the center for transnational crimes, no red notice had been issued by any international police organization.
Earlier this year, this international court had arranged the arrest of the former president through the international police. The local authorities, then led by the Remullas, cooperated with the international police organization to execute the arrest warrant. However, such warrants are typically kept confidential until the person in question is under custody.
Legal Representatives Await Confirmation
The legal team representing dela Rosa is waiting for an official confirmation before making any statements. "At this point in time, we don't have independent confirmation of the accuracy of this information. We urge everyone, including the media, to be cautious and restrained when sharing or interpreting such reports until verified information is officially released by competent authorities or by the international court itself," said Israelito Torreon, dela Rosa's lawyer.
On a related note, the Senate president made it clear that arrests inside the Senate premises would not be allowed. However, what happens outside the Senate is beyond their control.
Former President's Connection
Dela Rosa's former boss, the ex-president, is currently detained in an international detention center in The Netherlands. He is facing charges related to crimes against humanity due to a drug war that has allegedly caused the death of nearly 30,000 people, as per human rights group estimates.
Dela Rosa's Readiness to Face the Court
Dela Rosa has previously stated his willingness to face the international court "any time," proclaiming that he has "no more fears" in dealing with the court involved in investigating the drug war killings.
As the architect of the drug war, dela Rosa played a crucial role in its implementation. He was also the first police chief under the former president's administration, responsible for enforcing the controversial drug war. During most of his term as police chief, nearly 5,000 people died, according to official drug enforcement data.
Before becoming the national police chief, dela Rosa was the police chief of a city when the former president was mayor. A whistleblower and former member of a death squad linked to the former president implicated dela Rosa as one of the enablers of the former president's team of alleged killers in an affidavit submitted to the international court.