President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would be impartial and observe the law when Filipino citizens facing criminal charges, such as Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, seek government assistance, Malacañang said Wednesday.
In a statement, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos will always choose to protect the country’s interests, ensuring that government actions adhere to the Philippine laws.
“Si Pangulong Marcos, Jr. at ang kanyang administrasyon ay umaaksyon ng naaayon sa batas, ng may pagmamahal sa mamamayan at hindi kailanman magbebenta, magkakanulo o magtataksil sa anumang karapatan o interes ng ating bansa (President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and his administration act in accordance with the law and with love for the citizens, and will never sell, betray or compromise any right or interest of our country),” she said.
Castro’s statement came after Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the alleged disrespect for the Senate’s independence after the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) attempted to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
Duterte also said it is “embarrassing” that some Filipinos and government agencies lack understanding of national sovereignty, stressing that arrest warrants could not be implemented within the Philippine territory unless issued by a Philippine court.
Castro assured Dela Rosa that the government would provide lawful assistance to any citizen seeking legal remedies.
“Ang nais lang natin ipabatid kay Sen. Bato at sa lahat na ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. ay patas, sumusunod sa batas at hindi karahasan ang pinapairal (What we just want to tell Sen. Bato and everyone is that the administration is fair, law-abiding, and does not enforce violence),” she said.
“Ang lahat ng tulong na maipapaabot sa ating kababayan nang naaayon sa batas ay hindi ipagkakait. Kaya kahit ano pa ang kulay ng isang tao, dapat na manatiling interes ng taumbayan ang unahin at hindi ang pansariling pagpapayaman (All assistance that can be provided to our fellow citizens will not be denied. So, regardless of a person’s political color, the interest of the people must remain a priority and not personal gains),” she added.
The ICC, on its official website, identified Dela Rosa as a “defendant” and a person “at large,” after the international tribunal unsealed the arrest warrant issued against him in connection with the crimes against humanity linked to the Philippines’ drug war.
Dela Rosa, the country’s former police chief under the Duterte administration, was accused of committing the crime against humanity of murder between July 3, 2016 and the end of April 2018.
The ICC said Dela Rosa is alleged to have been involved in a “common plan” to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including drug offenders, which was plotted from November 2011 to March 2019.
The ICC issued a “secret” arrest warrant on Nov. 6, 2025 and unsealed the document on May 11. (PNA)