The legal team of Senator Ronald dela Rosa said it intentionally does not know the senator’s whereabouts as preparations continue for his legal defense against charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “Politiko Talks,” lawyer Jimmy Bondoc addressed repeated questions regarding the senator’s location.
“I say candidly and for the last time and earnestly, hindi po talaga namin alam,” Bondoc said.
[Translation: I say candidly and for the last time and earnestly, we really do not know.]
Bondoc explained that the arrangement was intentional and initiated by Dela Rosa himself.
“That is intentional on the part of Senator Bato and we have no desire to know of his whereabouts so that we can insulate our process of creating his legal defenses in a more or less, less politicized scenario,” he said.
According to Bondoc, keeping the legal team unaware of the senator’s location allows them to focus on building his legal defense without being affected by political developments surrounding the case.
Dela Rosa is facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in connection with allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug campaign of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The senator has remained out of public view for months, while his lawyers continue to challenge the legal basis of the ICC proceedings and related enforcement efforts in the Philippines.
