MANILA – The camp of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa rejected claims that he is a fugitive from justice following his reported departure from the Senate premises last week, calling the characterization “baseless and unfair.”

In a media report, the senator’s lawyer said there is no Philippine court-issued warrant against Dela Rosa and no local case requiring his arrest.

“There is no Philippine court-issued warrant against him, no local criminal case requiring his arrest, and no final judicial directive from any Philippine court ordering his surrender to the ICC (International Criminal Court),” lawyer Israelito Torreon said in a Facebook post.

He added that the issue currently pending before the Supreme Court centers on the legality of enforcing an ICC warrant in the Philippines without domestic judicial authorization.

“What is being questioned before the Supreme Court is precisely the legality of enforcing an ICC process inside Philippine territory without Philippine judicial authority,” he said.

The statement came after the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) urged the Supreme Court to dismiss Dela Rosa’s petition challenging the ICC warrant and argued that “fugitive disentitlement should also apply to him.”

Dela Rosa is facing an ICC arrest warrant for alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity of murder covering July 3, 2016, to April 2018, during which at least 32 individuals were killed.

Torreon said the OSG’s position did not address what he described as the core constitutional question in the case.

He also said the camp is preparing to respond to the OSG’s comment within the deadline, noting that Dela Rosa has until tomorrow to file his reply.

Torreon declined to disclose the senator’s current whereabouts.

“We can say is that Senator Dela Rosa has continuously sought relief from the Supreme Court and has not abandoned legal remedies. Invoking the protection of the Constitution cannot be twisted into evidence of guilt or flight,” he said.