SEN. Panfilo Lacson on Sunday expressed hope that the arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa would be carried out peacefully, without violence or tragedy.
Lacson made the comment on social media as authorities step up the manhunt for dela Rosa, who has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Lacson said dela Rosa, his former subordinate in the Philippine National Police (PNP) and a fellow Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumnus, was entitled to due process.
“I sincerely hope and pray that should his arrest take place sooner or later, it will be carried out peacefully, without violence or tragedy,” he said.
“He has his faults, as we all do. But whatever accusations he faces, he is entitled to due process, a fundamental right guaranteed to every Filipino, and for that matter, to every human being,” he said.
The ICC issued the warrant for dela Rosa in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. He went into hiding late last year after learning of the warrant.
He appeared briefly at the Senate last May 11 to vote for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president but fled following a shooting incident inside the premises last May 13.
On Friday, the government announced a P50-million bounty for dela Rosa, and the PNP gave him one week to surrender.
Dela Rosa’s lawyers questioned the legality of the reward.
In a radio interview with DWIZ on Saturday, Lacson rejected speculation that the bounty and surrender ultimatum were intended to prevent dela Rosa from voting in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“That’s just the product of a wild imagination,” Lacson said.
“As it is now, he is beyond the coercive power of the Senate. That was the ruling of the impeachment court: those who cannot be reached by its coercive power are not counted in the denominator,” he said.
Last month, the impeachment court ruled that the two-thirds vote required for conviction would be based on senators “legally and factually capable” of participating in the trial. Those being sought by authorities would be excluded from the count.
Lacson also questioned the rationale for offering a P50-million reward. “If they already know where he is, why put up a P50-million bounty?” he said.
The senator cautioned authorities against disclosing intelligence about the manhunt, saying that publicizing reliable information could alert the person being pursued and undermine efforts to make an arrest.
“Based on my experience, if you have solid information, you should not disclose it to the media,” he said.
He acknowledged, however, that releasing details of a manhunt could be part of a strategy to flush out a wanted individual or prevent bloodshed.
Lacson doubted that dela Rosa would try to participate in Duterte’s trial.
“That would be pushing his luck too hard, because the first time, it caught everyone by surprise,” he said.
Lacson said he did not see how dela Rosa could participate in the impeachment trial or vote, although he acknowledged that the question could raise legal issues.
He said a petition concerning the matter had reached the Supreme Court but was dismissed for lack of legal standing and prematurity.
Other senators joined Lacson’s call for dela Rosa’s peaceful and orderly arrest.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said law enforcement agencies must “conduct a safe arrest of Senator Bato. There should be no violence or acts of aggression.”
However, Gatchalian said the government must also assert its authority following reports that an armed group in Mindanao was protecting the senator and that authorities were pursuing negotiations with the group.
“It’s not right that the government is the one negotiating with the armed group, especially if that armed group is a terrorist group,” he said.
Gatchalian said he had lost touch with dela Rosa since the senator’s last public appearance in May.
The Senate minority bloc also urged the Marcos administration to talk with dela Rosa’s lawyers to work out a peaceful resolution.
It said it stands with dela Rosa “in defending his right to due process and supporting his call to answer the accusations against him before Philippine courts.”
“We believe a peaceful resolution that respects our laws and protects lives remains possible,” it said.
The group welcomed Remulla’s preference for negotiations over an operation that could cost lives.
