JUSTICE Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the government has yet to come up with a contingency plan in the event that a warrant of arrest is issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa and several others in relation to the crimes against humanity charges filed against them.
‘We have yet to talk about it. I don’t think they want to leave the country. We will cross the bridge when we get there,’ Remulla said.
Remulla also stressed that they have not received any information about an impending arrest warrant from the ICC.
‘There is no arrest warrant. Until we see the arrest warrant, then there is none,’ he added.
It can be recalled that former senator Antonio Trillanes IV earlier disclosed that arrest warrants against De la Rosa, Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, who are known allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte, may be issued early next year.
Trillanes, who initiated the ICC complaint, made the statement after returning from The Hague where he attended along with other participants the Tenth Seminar on Cooperation from Sept 16 to 18 at the ICC.
Last March, the Philippine government handed former President Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC based on an arrest warrant issued by the ICC and implemented through the Interpol for the crime against humanity in connection with the deaths of 43 persons during his bloody anti-illegal drug war campaign.
This was despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC which took effect on March 17, 2019.
The ICC maintained that it retains jurisdiction over the said crimes which occurred while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute, which created the ICC.
The crimes covered by the arrest warrant took place between November 1, 2011 and March 16, 2019, according to the chamber.
The ICC chamber issued the arrest warrant against Duterte in connection with the killing of 19 alleged drug pushers or thieves by the Davao Death Squad (DDS) in various locations in Davao City during Duterte’s term as mayor of the province.
The arrest warrant also covers the killing of 24 persons believed to be drug pushers and thieves or drug users during the term of Duterte as President.