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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
April 8, 2025 | 12:00am
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa answers questions from the media during a press conference at the Senate in Pasay City on September 18, 2024.
STAR / Jesse Bustos
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang asserted on Sunday that there is no basis for Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to seek assistance from the US in freezing the assets of the owner of the aircraft that flew former president Rodrigo Duterte to the Netherlands, emphasizing that the US respects the sovereign prerogatives of its allies.
The statement came after Dela Rosa, during a Senate hearing on Duterte’s arrest, suggested that the US government – specifically President Donald Trump – should be informed about the inquiry’s findings.
He argued that the Gulfstream G550 aircraft owner falls under the scope of Trump’s executive order that sanctions individuals facilitating the activities of the International Criminal Court (ICC), which he claims interferes with the interests of US allies.
Dela Rosa, a staunch Duterte ally and former chief of the Philippine National Police who oversaw the administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign, warned that the aircraft owner should expect “repercussions” under the executive directive.
However, Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro countered the senator’s assertion, clarifying that the executive order cited by Dela Rosa does not extend to interfering with decisions made by US allies.
Castro underscored that the order explicitly states that Washington honors the sovereign decisions of countries choosing to engage or not engage with the ICC, in accordance with their domestic laws.
“If our country and our government decide to cooperate with the Interpol, in accordance with RA 9851, that will not be prevented by the US and the country’s sovereign prerogatives will be respected. So I do not see any possible reason for Senator Bato to run to the US and seek help to freeze the assets of the owner of the aircraft,” she said.
Castro also clarified that the Philippines, designated as a major non-North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally under the American Service-Members’ Protection Act of 2002, is included in the group of countries whose sovereign decisions are acknowledged by the US, as outlined in Trump’s executive order signed in February.
