DELA ROSA CASE:
The whereabouts of the senator, who is wanted by the ICC, was unclear, while President Marcos faces a political test over the senate situation
Reuters, MANILA
Philippine authorities yesterday were seeking confirmation of reports that a top politician wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) had fled, a day after gunfire rang out at the Philippine Senate where he had taken refuge fearing his arrest.Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former national police chief and top enforcer of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs,” has been under Senate protection and is wanted for crimes against humanity, the same charges Duterte is accused of.“Several sources confirmed that the senator, Senator Bato, is no longer in the Senate premises, but we are still getting confirmation,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro told a news conference.
Security personnel react after gunfire was heard at the Philippine Senate in Pasay, Metro Manila, on Wednesday.
