Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said the Senate has yet to discuss its next course of action should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue arrest warrants against Senators Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Sotto made the statement after the ICC Office of the Prosecutor identified the two senators as among the alleged co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Ang tanong muna, is there an arrest? Inuunahan eh, inuunahan ng tanong ninyo. So bago kami mag-caucus, bakit, meron ba? So, my answer: I’ll cross the bridge when I get there,” Sotto said when asked whether an arrest would be doable.
He stressed that no formal discussion has taken place within the chamber.
“Wala pa kaming pinag-uusapan… Wala pa rin kaming pinag-uusapang caucus. Ano lang ‘yan eh, sa media lang ‘yan sinabi na merong ganon. Wala naman kaming official notice na may ganon,” he added.
Dela Rosa previously served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and was the chief implementer of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. Go, meanwhile, served as Duterte’s longtime personal aide and special assistant before being elected senator.
Asked whether there is urgency to tackle the matter, Sotto said he would not speculate without concrete developments.
“You know, I was taught to keep my cards close to my chest by the stalwarts of the 9th Congress, and that’s what I’m doing,” he said.
“If there’s nothing concrete na nakikita, why would I say what I think? So I’ll cross the bridge when I get there. Are there members who would want the caucus? Then I’ll call the caucus. Pero hindi ko pangungunahan,” he emphasized.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, for his part, said the minority bloc is drafting a resolution expressing the sense of the Senate to uphold the authority of Philippine courts.
“Ang essence, ang spirit ng ating Constitution ay kung may problema, pwede kang tumakbo sa Philippine courts. So hindi naman pupwede na ‘pag sinabi ng ICC o kahit anong international court na may arrest, dadamputin mo na lang dito, dadalhin mo sa ibang bansa. Kung gano’n ang interpretasyon, napaka-delikado,” Cayetano said.
He warned that disregarding local judicial processes could undermine sovereignty.
“Sira ang ating constitutional framework and the concept of sovereignty kung ang ating local courts ay gagawin nilang powerless. So, I do understand that there are emotions here. There’s human rights issues. Pero nababawasan ba ‘yung human rights kung ‘yung isang tao ay nakaka-takbo muna sa korte?” he added.
Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities on March 11, 2025, based on a warrant issued by the ICC. He is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands, over charges of crimes against humanity in connection with alleged extrajudicial killings during his administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The confirmation of charges hearing in Duterte’s case is set to begin on February 23, with subsequent hearings scheduled on February 24, 26, and 27.
