PAF: No unusual movement at Villamor Air Base after Trillanes raises alleged ICC warrant vs Bato in Senate
Villamor Air Base (File photo: Philippine Air Force)
The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Monday, May 11, said there was no unusual activity at the Villamor Air Base (VAB) despite speculation following former senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s presentation of an alleged International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest against Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
“Quiet naman dito sa VAB. Nothing unusual,” PAF spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said when asked about the situation at the air base.
Villamor Air Base in Pasay City figured prominently after former president Rodrigo Duterte was brought there following his arrest in connection with the ICC’s investigation into killings linked to his administration’s war on drugs in March last year.
Duterte was flown to the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands where he currently faces trial for alleged crimes against humanity.
The latest talk surrounding the military facility surfaced after Trillanes presented at the Senate an alleged ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, the former Philippine National Police chief who led Duterte’s anti-drug campaign at its height.
Dela Rosa has repeatedly denied responsibility for extrajudicial killings tied to the crackdown.
He has also questioned the ICC’s jurisdiction over the Philippines after the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.
The ICC, however, has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member of the tribunal.