UMVA has learned that a coalition of civil society and pro-democracy groups has taken a bold step by filing an obstruction of justice complaint against two senators and a high-ranking Senate official.
The complaint, filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, alleges that Senate President Alan Peter S. Cayetano, Senator Robinhood Ferdinand C. Padilla, and suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao R. Aplasca used their official positions to prevent the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” M. Dela Rosa, who is being sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the complainants, led by Tindig Pilipinas, claim that the respondents coordinated actions that allowed Mr. Dela Rosa to avoid arrest during chaotic events inside the Senate in early May.
The alleged actions included using their authority to place Mr. Dela Rosa under protective custody, facilitating his departure from the Senate building using a vehicle linked to Mr. Padilla, and obstructing efforts to carry out the arrest, amid the violence that erupted inside the Senate that night.
Francis Joseph Aquino Dee, convenor of Tindig Pilipinas, said the respondents managed to do all this using their office, raising serious questions about their actions and motivations.
This complaint marks the first formal legal action connected to the incident, and it could have significant implications for those involved.
The respondents have previously denied any wrongdoing, with Mr. Padilla saying that leaving the Senate through exits monitored by closed-circuit television cameras and amid a heavy police presence could not be considered evasion, and Mr. Cayetano stating that Mr. Dela Rosa had merely “chosen to leave.”
Mr. Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief and chief implementer of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, has repeatedly denied wrongdoing linked to the ICC investigation.
