Facing claims that he shielded fellow Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from arrest, Senator Robinhood Padilla turned the argument back on the administration by pointing to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent overture to Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is himself wanted by the International Criminal Court.
Padilla raised the comparison Thursday before a crowd at an Iglesia ni Cristo gathering in Manila. He argued that the government’s willingness to entertain a Putin visit exposed a double standard in how it treats ICC warrants.
“Look, they say there’s an ICC warrant. Yet our President is inviting Putin to the Philippines. But Putin has an arrest warrant from the ICC,” he told the crowd in Filipino. He pressed the point further: “What charges could they possibly file against the President? What are you saying, that if Vladimir Putin comes here, you’ll surrender him too? Filipinos are the only ones you’re willing to surrender.”
The invitation Padilla referenced dates to last month, when Marcos asked Putin to join the East Asia Summit set for Manila in November. The two leaders met in Kazan, Russia, where the offer was extended. Putin has been subject to an ICC warrant since March 17, 2023, tied to allegations that he bears responsibility for the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children from occupied territory into Russia.
The senator said he had seen the accusations circulating online, including talk that he could be hit with an obstruction of justice complaint for allegedly assisting dela Rosa in avoiding an ICC arrest warrant linked to the Duterte-era anti-drug campaign.
Padilla disputed the characterization by pointing to available footage. “They’re accusing me of obstruction of justice. Did you see the CCTV footage? Did it look like Bato was escaping?” he said in Filipino, adding that no officers ever moved to stop them, which in his view proved dela Rosa was not fleeing.
The obstruction complaint against Padilla originated with the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which lodged it in May. The Department of Justice sent the matter back over missing documentation, though police have indicated the case is still active and will be resubmitted once the gaps are filled.
