Marcos disappointed over Dela Rosa’s Senate ‘escape’, says Palace

By Darryl John Esguerra, Philippine News Agency

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (Philippine News Agency/facebook)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was disappointed over the reported escape of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from the Senate premises despite being placed under the chamber’s protective custody, Malacañang said Monday.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the President’s reaction was evident during a meeting with Cabinet officials as authorities discussed developments surrounding the attempted service of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.

“Noong nagkaroon po ng meeting, inalam niya kung anong pangyayari at makikita mo sa hitsura ng Pangulo at kung paano siya magtanong sa mga Cabinet secretaries, nandoon po iyong disappointment (During the meeting, the President asked what happened and you could see from his demeanor and questions that there was disappointment),” Castro said in a Palace briefing.

“Hindi sa Cabinet secretaries kung hindi sa pangyayari sa Senado (He was disappointed about what transpired in the Senate, not toward the Cabinet secretaries).”

The Palace also rejected claims that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) failed to serve the ICC warrant.

“There was no failure on the part of the NBI agents. Hinarang sila (They were blocked),” Castro said.

She raised questions over the Senate’s decision to interfere in the attempted implementation of the warrant.

“The question is, was the Senate correct in interfering with the service of the warrant of arrest?” Castro said.

Castro added that the administration remains committed to implementing the law fairly and consistently.

She said the Office of the Solicitor General had already described Dela Rosa as a “fugitive,” adding that the senator, who was the architect and chief implementer of the Duterte administration’s drug war, will be arrested once he tries to leave the country.

The controversy erupted after reports surfaced that Dela Rosa had allegedly left the Senate premises despite heightened security and ongoing discussions surrounding the ICC warrant tied to killings during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The Senate earlier extended protective custody to Dela Rosa amid concerns over the implementation of the ICC order. Authorities are continuing investigations into the incident.