MANILA, Philippines, March 19 ------ Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea landed in a hospital in The Hague. Gretchen Ho reported on TV 5 and One News that Medialdea was seen in a wheelchair outside the detention center of the International Criminal Court in Scheveningen. At around 5 p.m. yesterday, he was taken out on a stretcher to a waiting ambulance that brought him to a hospital. Medialdea’s ailment was not immediately known. But he earlier told the media that he was able to talk with former president Rodrigo Duterte at the detention center on March 17. “OK naman siya, he’s in very high spirits… naiisip niya ang mga sumusuporta sa kanya, nagpapasalamat siya sa inyong lahat,” Medialdea said.
He said what Duterte was missing was Filipino food – tuyo, monggo and most especially his favorite, fried bananas. “Other than that, he’s OK,” said Medialdea, who is serving as Duterte’s lead counsel, although British-Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman has reportedly been hired to head the legal team.
Former Duterte official Silvestre Bello III is en route to The Hague to join the legal team along with Raul Lambino, one of the candidates in the PDP-Laban Senate slate. Meanwhile, House Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City Rep. Pammy Zamora said that if ever the ICC issues warrants for the arrest of the alleged co-perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will again have to assist the International Police (Interpol) – this time in arresting them. “Our cooperation with the Interpol is not optional. This is a legal obligation that we continue to comply with. It is our obligation to the international community and our adherence to the rule of law,” Zamora said in a statement.
The PNP has said it is ready to arrest other people covered by ICC warrants if ordered by the government. Duterte is awaiting trial in The Hague for crimes against humanity in the conduct of his so-called war on drugs. His former officials – including Sen. Ronald dela Rosa – are also reportedly facing arrest. The PNP helped carry out the arrest of the former president at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in coordination with the Interpol last March 11.
Meanwhile, the Kabataan party-list is appealing to the Senate leadership not to shield Dela Rosa from possible arrest. “The institutional courtesy to prevent the opening of the budget of the OVP and the President has been overused. And now it will again be used to hide a senator because he is getting paranoid?” Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel said in a statement in reaction to Senate President Francis Escudero’s statement that Dela Rosa may seek refuge at the Senate premises to evade arrest. “What do we want to teach the children? That the Senate can be closed for so long to prevent it from starting the impeachment trial, but it can open as haven for a butcher?” Manuel said. “If Bato will hide in the Senate without the session, it was admission that he is guilty,” he said, referring to Dela Rosa by his nickname. The people’s money will be wasted to make his room cool. Our call for the Senate is to allow the right process of justice, don’t allow yourself to be used by butchers,” he added.
He said the public should take lessons from Dela Rosa’s looming legal woes. “Let this be a lesson for all of us. We must vote for senators who are the true representative of the people, who understand the purpose of their offices, for public service and not for their politician bosses and dynasty,” Manuel said. On Facebook, Dela Rosa claimed trolls were sowing intrigues to create division among supporters of Duterte. “Don’t be fooled by the trolls unleashed by our enemies and some attention-seeking individuals who are using the divide and rule tactics by sowing intrigues to create distrust within our ranks. Let’s remain solid on bringing him back home,” he said.
Dela Rosa also commended Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra for recusing from petitions for habeas corpus filed with the Supreme Court by Duterte’s children Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Rep. Paolo Duterte, and Veronica.
Source: philstar.com
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