A lawyer for drug war victims has raised the prospect of international legal exposure for Senator Robin Padilla, saying his alleged role in helping Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa slip away from the Senate despite a standing International Criminal Court arrest warrant could fall within the scope of the Rome Statute.
Kristina Conti, who represents victims in the ICC case, cited Article 70 of the Rome Statute — which covers offenses against the administration of justice — as the potential legal basis for accountability. “It’s possible that they may be covered by that… The one most at risk is Senator Robin Padilla,” she said in Filipino during a radio interview Sunday.
Conti said that by the time Padilla allegedly escorted dela Rosa out of the Senate building in the early hours of May 14, the former Philippine National Police chief was already regarded as a fugitive under ICC terms. She added that Padilla’s alleged involvement had been formally reported to ICC prosecutors.
The warning echoed a similar statement made last week by Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida, who cautioned that anyone aiding dela Rosa in evading arrest could face exposure under both domestic law and the ICC process.
Conti also disclosed that several individuals are actively cooperating with ICC prosecutors in the crimes against humanity case involving former President Rodrigo Duterte and his alleged co-perpetrators, a group that includes dela Rosa.
Padilla has denied any role in facilitating an escape. He acknowledged giving dela Rosa a ride to Makati after tensions eased following a shooting incident inside the Senate, but maintained there was nothing unlawful about the departure, pointing to the heavy police presence in the complex at the time. He also argued that no Philippine court had issued a warrant against dela Rosa.
Senate CCTV footage, however, reportedly captured the two boarding a white SUV together at around 2:30 a.m. A PNP preliminary investigation subsequently found the vehicle to be registered under Padilla’s name.
As authorities continued a nationwide manhunt with no confirmed lead on dela Rosa’s location as of Sunday, Senator Panfilo Lacson weighed in on the broader challenge of tracking high-profile fugitives. “As one who worked in law enforcement, intelligence for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in between. Intelligence is the prime mover of any operation, law enforcement or military,” Lacson said in a separate radio interview, placing dela Rosa alongside figures such as businessman Atong Ang, former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag, and former lawmaker Zaldy Co among those being sought.
Dela Rosa, for his part, has previously expressed frustration with Lacson — his former superior at the PNP — for what he described as a lack of sympathy, noting that Lacson himself went into hiding in 2010 amid the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.
