Dela Rosa: Arrest warrant likely if Ochoa skips PDEA probe again

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa answers queries from the members of the media during the press conference after the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) leaks hearing on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Noy Morcoso / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa said a warrant of arrest may be issued against former Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. if he fails to attend the public hearing on allegedly leaked drug documents for the third time.

Dela Rosa said another subpoena would be sent to Ochoa, who again did not appear before the Senate hearing on Monday due to COVID-19. The senator said they will give the former Palace official one week to recover from the disease.

Last week, Ochoa was likewise a no-show at the hearing of the Senate committee on public order, which is investigating supposedly leaked Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) documents linking certain personalities like President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to illegal drugs. Ochoa could not attend that hearing due to a “scheduling conflict.”

“We will be giving Atty. Ochoa, one week to recover from COVID-19, we have already sent him two invitation letters. So by this time, you issue a subpoena for his attendance before this committee,” said dela Rosa, chair of the panel.

“Kung hindi pa rin siya mag-attend baka warrant of arrest will be issued by the Senate, kung hindi siya magpakita … dahil mahirap ‘yung iniiwasan tayo,” he added.

(If he still doesn’t attend, maybe the Senate will issue an arrest warrant if he doesn’t show up… because it’s hard when we are being avoided.)

Dela Rosa said another hearing will be set next week to ensure Ochoa’s participation in the hearing.

“Kung nandito sana siya, baka tapos na itong hearing na ito,” he said.

(If he were here, this hearing might be over.)

The allegedly leaked PDEA data supposedly contains an authority to operate, and a pre-operation report was issued on March 11, 2012, and signed by former PDEA agent Jonathan Morales.

Morales dragged Ochoa into the controversy when he said the ex-executive secretary ordered the agency not to proceed with the purported operation.

PDEA, however, has debunked the existence of the alleged leaked PDEA dossiers.

“PDEA ran a check through its Plans and Operations Reports Management Information System, or PORMIS and found that no such operation was logged on said date,” the agency said in early April.