AFP, MANILA
The Philippines said it has asked the country’s Supreme Court to allow it to arrest former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s chief drug war enforcer to stand trial in an international tribunal.The International Criminal Court (ICC) last week unsealed an arrest warrant against Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa, accusing him along with Duterte and other “coperpetrators” of the “crime against humanity of murder.”Dela Rosa briefly sought refuge in the Philippine Senate last week while asking the Philippine Supreme Court to stop an ongoing attempt by government agents to arrest him.
An activist holds up a sign calling for the arrest of Philippine Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, during a protest outside the Philippine Senate in Metro Manila on Wednesday last week.
“By his own conduct, he has placed himself outside the protection of the law,” the government’s chief lawyer, Solicitor-General Darlene Berberabe, said in a filing that asked the court to dismiss Dela Rosa’s petition. “Until he submits himself to lawful authorities, he must be deemed a fugitive from justice and should not be allowed to seek any relief from the courts.”Dela Rosa’s current whereabouts were unknown.
