Will Senate uphold ‘tradition’ for Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa?
MANILA, Philippines — Senators can meet in a caucus regarding the possible arrest of two colleagues, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go, who were recently disclosed as “co-perpetrators” in the case faced by former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The main question is whether the Senate would uphold the “tradition” of prohibiting the arrest of a member who would seek refuge in the chamber while it is in session.
“What the Senate President (Vicente Sotto) and I are saying refers to tradition. The tradition is that a senator is not arrested here while the Senate is in session. If there is confusion about that, I expect that we will discuss this tradition in our caucus,” Senate Deputy Majority Leader Risa Hontiveros said on Wednesday.
READ: Palace to Duterte co-perpetrators: Don’t hide, face ICC case
Hontiveros earlier explained that a senator may be arrested if the Senate is not in session and if the case was for an offense not punishable by less than six years’ imprisonment.
Sotto, however, clarified on Wednesday that the Senate had not yet scheduled an all-member caucus on the matter.
“That’s all in the media. We have not received an official notice (from the ICC). Sen. Bong Go has not received anything. Senator Dela Rosa has not received anything. So there’s nothing to talk about,” Sotto said.
But the Senate leader said he was open to having a meeting if the majority of the members asked for it.
The Senate invoked the tradition in the past to prevent the arrest of its members.
In February 1990, then Senate President Jovito Salonga barred National Bureau of Investigation agents from serving an arrest warrant on Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile inside the Senate building while it was in session. The warrant stemmed from Enrile’s alleged role in the December 1989 coup against the Aquino administration.
In 2017, then Sen. Leila de Lima spent one night in the Senate building after she was charged with illegal drug trading, but surrendered to the authorities the next day. —With a report from Inquirer Research
