Senator Robin Padilla appears at DOJ for obstruction of justice complaint

Senator Robinhood Padilla on Friday arrived at the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the preliminary investigation for the obstruction of justice complaint filed against him by the Philippine National Police (PNP). This was in relation to Senator Ronald Bato Dela Rosa’s departure from the Senate premises amid an ICC warrant against him. Padilla was greeted by his supporters already awaiting his arrival at Padre Faura in Manila. “Una po maraming salamat po sa lahat ng mga kapatid na Muslim, lahat na kapatid na mga Kristiyano, na nagpunta po dito at nagbigay ng suporta sa akin kahit na napaka-sikip natin,” Padilla said. (First off, I want to thank our fellow Muslims and Christians, who went here to give their support.) “Nandito po tayo para i-file po namin yung counter-affidavit namin. Kasama ko po yung mga abogado ko,” Padilla said. (We are here to file our counter-affidavit. I am with my lawyers.) The Philippine National Police had filed obstruction of justice complaints against Padilla for allegedly helping Sen. Bato dela Rosa "escape" as authorities were attempting to serve Dela Rosa an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. Dela Rosa was the police chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. Duterte has already been arrested and detained at The Hague, Netherlands, awaiting trial. Padilla has said that he "did not help Dela Rosa escape" as Dela Rosa only asked to hitch a ride with him to leave the building. —VAL, GMA News