Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said due process does not mean protecting Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Lacson said his call for due process for his colleague was meant to ensure that the arrest would not lead to violence or a possible tragedy.
“To me, due process means allowing Senator dela Rosa to face trial before the ICC rather than risk violence and worse, tragedy,” Lacson said Tuesday, Nov. 3.
He stressed that due process is a basic right that belongs to everyone, including Dela Rosa, who previously served under him in the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
Dela Rosa is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
The senator reportedly went into hiding after learning about the warrant late last year. He briefly appeared at the Senate on May 11 to vote for Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president but left the premises following a shooting incident on May 13.IMT
