Trillanes, Remulla bicker over ICC warrant vs Dela Rosa

National

ONE side says there’s a warrant. The other says there’s none.

Between those positions, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla are now at odds over how and even whether an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest order should be enforced in the Philippines.

The dispute centers on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who was confirmed as the subject of an ICC arrest warrant linked to the tribunal’s investigation into the anti-drug campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Trillanes, a longtime critic of the drug war, questioned what he described as inconsistent signals from the Department of the Interior and Local Government on how authorities intended to act on the warrant. He cited earlier statements referring to preparations for a 10,000-person police task force and a possible dragnet to locate dela Rosa, contrasting these with later remarks questioning enforcement.

Tension escalated after Trillanes presented a copy of the ICC warrant on Monday.

Remulla responded that the department had not received any official document.

“There was no official warrant we are in possession of,” he said in an Inquirer report. He also said enforcement could not proceed without proper coordination, noting that Trillanes was not part of the relevant interagency or international channels and pointing to coordination through bodies such as the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime.

On Tuesday, Trillanes revisited earlier disclosures, including statements from Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the DILG chief’s brother, who had previously mentioned an ICC warrant months before its confirmation. Dela Rosa had since stayed largely out of public view before resurfacing at the Senate.

In a radio interview, Trillanes questioned the government’s handling of the situation, saying, “Now that a warrant is out and Bato has surfaced, suddenly, the warrant can’t be that warrant? Whose side is he (Jonvic Remulla) on?” He also criticized the DILG’s public messaging, adding that if officials had reduced their press conferences, they could have made an arrest.

Remulla maintained that the government would only act on what it considers a legally enforceable document within Philippine jurisdiction, saying he would only act on a legal basis recognized by local authorities. He noted that the document being cited originated from the ICC, pointing out that the Philippines had withdrawn from the tribunal nine years earlier, and stressed that enforcement would only proceed if the warrant were transmitted through the International Criminal Police Organization.

The ICC confirmed the issuance of the warrant on Monday night after earlier uncertainty over its status. Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief, has been named as one of the alleged “co-perpetrators” in the case tied to the drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The Philippine National Police said it would not act without proper legal orders or coordination through international channels. It also said the continued deployment of police units around the Senate complex in Pasay City was a preventive security measure to maintain order and ensure institutional safety.(MyTVCebu)