FORMER senator Antonio Trillanes IV yesterday said the International Criminal Court (ICC) has asked the Interpol to place Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and four other former and current police officials on its “blue notice” in relation to its ongoing probe on the drug war of the Duterte administration.
Interpol blue notices are issued to gather information on individuals suspected of involvement in a crime or possessing crime-related knowledge. These notices help in identifying the suspect, their criminal activities, or whereabouts.
“Kasabay nitong pagbigay ng dokumento na ito sa Philippine government ng ICC ay meron din silang request sa Interpol na isama ang limang ito sa blue notice na tinatawag, kung saan maaari silang i-hold sa mga iba’t ibang immigration counters kung saan man silang bansa lalabas (The ICC has also requested the Interpol to put these five in its blue notice, wherein they could be held in immigration counters in countries where will be going),” Trillanes told reporters at the Department of Justice after he filed drug smuggling and graft cases against Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio, former Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, former Army Col. Allen Capuyan and several others.
Trillanes has earlier said the ICC has tagged Dela Rosa,
former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Romeo Caramat Jr., former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and former PNP Intelligence Officer Eleazar Mata as suspects in its ongoing probe on the Duterte administration’s bloody campaign against illegal drugs.
He posted copies of an ICC document naming the five as suspects.
Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday confirmed the ICC documents posted by Trillanes.
Guevarra said that while the Philippine government will stick to its declaration not to cooperate in the ICC probe, it cannot stop the international court from interviewing persons of interest, including former and current police officers, in its ongoing investigation.
Trillanes said the request of the ICC prosecutor to interview the five police officials is equivalent to a summons.
He said the five would be deemed to have waived their right to air their side if they refuse to cooperate with the ICC probe.
“Kung di sila magko-cooperate, therefore, ‘yung ebidensya laban sa kanila ay yun ang mananaig at hindi nila mabibigay ‘yung kanilang side doon sa kaso (If they do not cooperate, therefore, the evidence against them will prevail, and they will not be able to present their side),” the former lawmaker said.
The Philippine government has refused to cooperate with the ICC probe, insisting that it is no longer under its jurisdiction following its withdrawal as a State party from the Rome Statute effective March 17, 2019.
Special Prosecutor Karim Khan has said that contrary to Manila’s position, the ICC can still probe the drug war abuse complaints because the Philippines was still a party to the Rome Statute when the alleged abuses and extrajudicial killings were committed.
Khan pointed out that the scope of the probe covers alleged crimes from November 1, 2011 to March 16, 2019.
In January 2023, the ICC authorized the reopening of the inquiry after it was suspended in November 2021.
The ICC Appeals Chamber in July of the same year also junked Manila’s plea against the resumption of the drug war inquiry.
