Vida: Bato to be arrested if he attempts to leave PH; lookout bulletin issued
At A Glance
- Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order has already been issued, directing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to closely monitor any attempt by Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa to leave the country.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa will be arrested if he attempts to leave the country, Department of Justice (DOJ) Acting Secretary Fredderick A. Vida warned on Friday, May 15.
“The Department of Justice will treat any attempt of Sen. Bato Dela Rosa to leave the country as a mockery of justice,” Vida said in a press briefing.
He said clear instructions have been issued to border control authorities to ensure the senator is intercepted and arrested if he attempts to depart the Philippines.
“I am giving specific orders to law enforcement agents and our border control authorities that, if Sen. Bato Dela Rosa attempts to leave the country, the appropriate arrest should be made,” he added.
Vida said an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) has already been issued, directing the Bureau of Immigration (BI) to closely monitor any attempt by the senator to leave the country.
He added that BI personnel may temporarily hold the lawmaker while awaiting the arrival of law enforcement authorities who will effect the arrest.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa, who has been tagged as a co-perpetrator of former President Rodrigo Duterte in a crimes against humanity case linked to the previous administration’s drug war.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) earlier declined to serve the warrant when Dela Rosa appeared at the Senate on May 11.
The move came after an agreement with Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who said the senator had been placed under the Senate’s protective custody.
“We do acknowledge the independence of the Senate as a co-equal branch of government, and we respect that,” Vida said.
However, he stressed that the DOJ expects the eventual turnover of the senator once legal issues surrounding the arrest are resolved.
“We expect that the appropriate turnover will be made to the Department of Justice once all legal issues have been resolved,” he said.