Malacañang on Tuesday assured that all Filipinos will be afforded their rights under the law, following Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s appeal to President Ferdinand “Bongbong“ Marcos Jr. for protection after the International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed an arrest warrant against him.
During a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said that legal protections apply to everyone, including both victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and individuals accused of crimes.
“Maski naman po yung mga EJK victims ay humingi rin po ng proteksyon sa gobyerno. So ang akusadong katulad ni Sen. Bato ay humingi ng proteksyon. Lahat naman po ay bibigyan ng proteksyon na naaayon sa batas,” Castro said in Filipino.
The statement came after Dela Rosa appealed to Marcos Jr. not to allow him to be arrested and brought to The Hague in the Netherlands. The senator made the appeal while under Senate protective custody, joining supporters via video call during a gathering outside the Senate.
“Sir BBM, hindi ako galit sa iyo. At alam ko rin na wala [kang] personal na galit sa akin. Ako ngayon ay umaapela [ako] sa iyo na sana alagaan mo [ang] bawat Pilipino na hindi madala sa ibang bansa,” Dela Rosa said.
“You are our President. It is your moral obligation. Not only your constitutional mandate, kundi moral obligation mo yan, Sir, na protektahan ang bawat Pilipino na hindi madala sa ibang bansa,” he added.
Castro said that should Dela Rosa be arrested, his rights as an accused will still be fully respected under the law.
“Kung maarresto man po siya, lahat ng karapatan bilang isang akusado ay ibibigay po sa kanya,” she said.
She also addressed questions about whether the executive branch would intervene if an arrest warrant were implemented, especially if the Senate is seen as sheltering a potential fugitive.
“Depende po. Ayaw ko pong ilagay muna sa sitwasyon, ang gobyerno, sa maaaring ganitong kaguluhan. Dahil lahat tayo dito, ang mga mambabatas, ang executive department, alam po natin ang mandato at alam po natin ang limitasyon. So wala dapat na mga aabuso ng kanilang kapangyarihan,” Castro said.
On concerns about the ICC process, Castro reiterated the government’s position that the Philippines does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction after withdrawing from it, but noted obligations under other legal frameworks. She said complaints were filed by Filipinos themselves and that the government also has a duty to ensure accountability and protect victims. She cited Republic Act 9851, saying that if an international tribunal has already initiated proceedings, jurisdiction may be deferred or waived in favor of such bodies.
When asked about the possibility of President Marcos himself facing similar circumstances in the future, Castro dismissed the scenario as unlikely.
“Kung pag-uusapan natin kung madadala siya sa dahig, that's definitely impossible. Kasi ang Pangulo ay hindi nag-commit ng EJK,” she said.
Meanwhile, during the same conference, Castro said that the President has been informed about the ICC arrest warrant against the senator.
She added that Marcos stressed that the rule of law must be upheld, not only in the case of Senator Dela Rosa but in all other similar situations.
“Ang lagi naman pong utos ng Pangulo sa lahat ng enforcement agencies sa lahat po ng pagkakataon, hindi lang po dito patungkol kay Sen. Bato: Dapat lamang ay sumunod sa kung ano ang sinasabi ng batas,” she noted.
