The Palace on Monday defended the P50-million bounty for the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, saying the reward is part of an operational strategy adopted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said the bounty was not specifically ordered by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. Instead, she said, it was a strategy adopted by Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” C. Remulla and the police leadership.

“It is not something that the President would specifically mention, to give him a P50-million bounty. It would not come directly from the President because this is the strategy and operation of Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the PNP leadership,” Ms. Castro said in an interview with state-run Radyo Pilipinas.

Ms. Castro said confidential and intelligence funds allocated to the DILG and the PNP could be used for operations of this kind, as long as authorities could substantiate the operation and demonstrate results.

“If these are their methods for using their intelligence funds, this is in order, provided they can prove the operation they are conducting and that there will be results,” she said.

The DILG announced the P50-million reward on Friday for information leading to the capture of Mr. dela Rosa, whom Mr. Remulla described as armed and dangerous. The government also gave the senator one week to surrender.

Ms. Castro said on Monday that authorities would continue their operations if Mr. dela Rosa failed to turn himself in.

“According to General Nartatez, even if Senator Bato does not surrender within the one-week period, the operation will continue,” she said, referring to PNP chief Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr.

Mr. dela Rosa, who served as PNP chief under the Duterte administration, has been in hiding since leaving the Senate in May, when authorities sought to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The ICC unsealed the warrant on May 11, citing reasonable grounds to believe that Mr. dela Rosa was criminally responsible for alleged crimes against humanity of murder linked to former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Mr. dela Rosa has denied involvement in illegal killings. Under the court’s procedures, “reasonable grounds to believe” is the threshold for issuing an arrest warrant and is not a finding of guilt.

His legal counsel, Israelito P. Torreon, questioned the bounty in a Facebook post on Monday and argued that authorities should produce an arrest warrant issued by a Philippine court.

“What I am asking for is simple. The government should show a warrant issued by a Philippine court. That is not a plea for mercy. It is a demand that the government follow the law,” Mr. Torreon said.

Mr. Torreon said local courts have jurisdiction over crimes against humanity under Republic Act No. 9851, the Philippine statute covering crimes against humanity and other international crimes, and argued that any charges against his client should be filed before a domestic court.

“If the government truly believes my client committed them, let it file the case here, before a Philippine judge who will examine the evidence,” he said.

The question of which court holds jurisdiction now sits at the center of the case: authorities moving to enforce an ICC warrant through police operations and a bounty, and the defense insisting that any charges belong before a Philippine judge.

Asked whether authorities could freeze the senator’s assets, Ms. Castro referred the matter to the Anti-Money Laundering Council. She said the council could investigate if there were grounds to examine his assets. How the one-week surrender period ends, and whether the council finds grounds to examine the senator’s assets, are the next points to watch in the case.

— Erika Mae P. Sinaking

Source: BusinessWorld