Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano declared that the Senate will only acknowledge arrest warrants issued by Philippine courts. This statement comes after a recent incident involving an attempted service of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa.
Cayetano emphasized the importance of adhering to the Constitution, which mandates that only local judges can issue arrest warrants. "We will entertain warrants from Philippine judges, but not those from foreign entities," he stated.
The situation escalated on Monday when National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents attempted to serve the ICC warrant to Dela Rosa, leading to a chaotic scene at the Senate.
Senate's Response to ICC Warrant
Cayetano condemned the manner in which the warrant was pursued, noting that it was unfortunate for a senator to be chased while trying to attend a session. "Usually, senators voluntarily surrender after exploring all legal options," he added.
But you come to us with an ICC warrant that we haven’t seen… they would chase a senator so he cannot attend session, which is quite unfortunate.
Alan Peter Cayetano
The Senate's position reflects a significant stance on foreign intervention in local judicial matters, underscoring the ongoing debate surrounding the ICC's role in the Philippines.