Senator Erwin Tulfo on Monday said the Senate leadership will determine how to address any potential arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senators Bong Go and Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa, noting that such warrants cannot be served while Congress is in session.
Speaking in an interview on DZRH’s Dos Por Dos, Tulfo, who chairs the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said the matter falls under the authority of the Senate leadership, particularly Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
“Pagka-intindi ko dyan kung saka-sakaling may mga warrant of arrest, hindi pwedeng isilbi yung mga warrants of arrest nila habang naka-sesyon ang Kongreso,” Tulfo said.
“Hindi 'yan talaga tatanggapin at hindi pwedeng hulihin yung mga senador habang naka-sesyon. Pero kapag naka-break, doon pa lamang, doon yata papayag ang Sen. Sotto, ang aming SP, na, ika nga, i-enforce.”
Tulfo was responding to reports that Go and Dela Rosa were among those indicted in connection with the ICC’s probe into the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Asked whether the government should enforce any ICC-issued warrant in the same manner as the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Tulfo said authorities may adopt a different approach, having learned from the earlier incident.
“I think the government learned its lesson during the last arrest of President Duterte,” he said. “There may have been issues seen in that process.”
Tulfo added that some legal observers had suggested that any ICC warrant should first be referred to the Supreme Court or a local court for determination before enforcement.
He said he had been told by a lawyer that, under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, action may need to pass through a duly constituted local court.
“Bago nga't hindi ko pa nakikita yung batas na iyon, statute na iyon, sinabihan lang tayo na base sa kanilang ikang napag-aralan, kailangan daw dumaan muna sa isang local court,” the Senator said.
“So I'm sure ganun din na mangyayari kapag dumating na yung warrants of arrest.”
Tulfo stressed that, so far, he has not received any official information confirming the issuance of arrest warrants against Go or Dela Rosa.
“So far, wala naman akong naririnig. Nandiyan na yung warrant of arrest ni Sen. Bato o ni Sen. Bong Go. Nabanggit lang yung kanilang pangalan at yung iba pa,” he said.
