Dela Rosa on Duterte arrest: Politics ‘blinded’ gov’t
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Sunday claimed that politics “blinded” the government’s standards in upholding constitutional guarantees for all Filipinos, whether a former president or not.
In a statement, Dela Rosa echoed the legal opinion of Atty. Alexis Medina that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s constitutional rights were violated when the Marcos administration surrendered him to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Binulag ng pulitika ang pamantayan ng pamahalaang ito sa pagkilala sa garantiyang ibinigay sa bawat Pilipino—dating presidente man o hindi—ng Konstitusyon. Hindi lang mga taga-suporta ni dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte ang mismong nagsabi na may paglabag sa karaparatan ng ating kapwa Pilipino sa pagsuko kanya sa ICC,” Dela Rosa said.
(Politics has blinded this government’s standards in recognizing the guarantee granted by the Constitution to every Filipino, whether a former president or not. It is not only the supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte who have pointed out that there is a violation of our fellow Filipino’s rights in surrendering him to the ICC.)
READ: Dela Rosa concedes Duterte warrant valid, but will still evade arrest
“Dapat maaala, hindi lamang ni Justice Secretary Boying Remulla at mga gabinete ni Presidente Bongbong Marcos, kundi ng buong sambayanang Pilipino na kaya nakapiring ang simbulo ng hustisya dahil dapat walang kinikilingan pagdating sa pagpapatupad at pagsunod sa batas,” he added
(It should be remembered, not only by Justice Secretary Boying Remulla and the Cabinet of President Bongbong Marcos but by the entire Filipino nation, that the symbol of justice is blindfolded because the enforcement and adherence to the law should be impartial and free from bias.)
During the Senate investigation into Duterte’s arrest last Thursday, Medina opposed the legal position of Remulla that the government was right to surrender Duterte to the ICC.
Medina explained that surrendering a person arrested to an international body is only valid if the subject has voluntarily surrendered to the custody of the national government.
“To expel a person from his country of residence without a lawful court order, by excluding the judicial process, might amount to a violation of the liberty to abide,” Medina said.
“That is guaranteed by Section 6 of the Bill of Rights. The liberty of abode cannot be impaired without a lawful order of the court. That is the text of the Constitution. Now, this constitutional protection is a barrier for any government action that would simply force, compel, an individual, to change his residence,” he added.
Duterte was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11 on the order of the International Criminal Court.
He is facing a case for crimes against humanity allegedly committed during his administration’s drug war. He is currently being held in a detention center in The Hague.
