The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said there are no records showing that Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa has left the country through international entry and exit points amid the ongoing search for him over an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“That’s right. Doon sa ating international ports of entry and exit, wala tayong recently recorded na biyahe niya,” BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said in an interview.
Sandoval said the BI continues to monitor all international airports and seaports in the country, including the Zamboanga International Seaport, as part of its mandate.
“Ang ating saklaw ay ang international ports of entries and exits. Ito ‘yung mga paliparan natin, international airports. Pati ‘yung seaports,” she said.
However, she clarified that the BI does not have jurisdiction over coastal areas or informal routes, which are monitored by local government units, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the police.
The Philippine National Police earlier said Dela Rosa remains in the Philippines as authorities prepare to enforce the ICC arrest warrant against him.
Dela Rosa is currently under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) while facing charges before the ICC for crimes against humanity involving murder.
Earlier this month, acting Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said an ILBO had been issued against Dela Rosa and directed authorities to arrest the senator should he attempt to leave the country, calling such a move “a mockery of justice.”
Sandoval explained that an ILBO is used to monitor an individual’s movements and alert concerned government agencies regarding their whereabouts.
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa for his alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator alongside former president Rodrigo Duterte in crimes against humanity tied to killings committed from July 3, 2016 to the end of April 2018, during which at least 32 people were allegedly killed.
Dela Rosa’s camp has maintained that while it acknowledges the existence of the ICC arrest warrant, it does not consider it enforceable in the Philippines.
The ICC has listed Dela Rosa as “at large” on its website after unsealing the warrant. The tribunal cited his previous roles in the Davao Region police, as chief of the PNP, and later as director general of the Bureau of Corrections during the period covered by the allegations.
Dela Rosa had been absent from the Senate for the past six months after reports surfaced regarding the warrant. He briefly resurfaced on May 11 to participate in a vote on the change in Senate leadership before once again disappearing from public view.
