Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 29) — Senator Francis Tolentino on Wednesday said he now serves as the legal counsel of his colleague Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) drug war probe.
Dela Rosa, who led former President Rodrigo Duterte administration’s war on drugs as the head of the Philippine National Police, previously said he tapped his fellow lawmaker to represent him in the ICC.
“I accept the letter of the proposal of Sen. del Rosa to lawyer for him,” he said. “I’m now speaking as the counsel for Sen. Bato dela Rosa.”
His online profile shows he passed the Philippine Bar Exams in 1984 and New York State Bar Exams in 1991.
Dela Rosa has stood his ground that ICC’s investigation will go nowhere, reiterating it has no jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the international tribunal in 2019. He also maintained that country’s justice system is enough to give justice to the victims.
The ICC’s Appeals Chamber on Monday rejected the Philippine government’s request to suspend investigation into the Duterte administration’s war against illegal drugs pending resolution of Manila’s main appeal against the resumption of the probe.
Following the failed bid, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that the government will disengage from any contact with the ICC.
“We cannot cooperate with the ICC considering the very serious questions about their jurisdiction and about what we consider to be interference and practically attacks on the sovereignty of the republic,” Marcos said.
CNN Philippines correspondent Eimor Santos contributed to this report.
“My role is to ensure the protection of Sen. Dela Rosa not just with the confines of the ICC, because we’re claiming they don’t have jurisdiction but even locally,” he added.
When asked if he could practice as a lawyer, he replied: “You cannot practice here. I can get an exemption from the Senate President.”
Tolentino said that he might call for a hearing on the Senate resolution, filed by Senator Robinhood Padilla, defending Duterte from investigation or prosecution by the ICC.
“I’m thinking of having other resource person coming from the ICC itself. Kung papayag sila, kahit Zoom sila (if they will agree, I hope they can join via Zoom),” he said.
However, Section 14 of Article VI of the 1987 Constitution states that: “No Senator or Member of the House of Representatives may personally appear as counsel before any court of justice or before the Electoral Tribunals, or quasi-judicial and other administrative bodies.”
