The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it will only begin its role in the legal process involving Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa once an actual arrest has been carried out.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said the situation remains under the jurisdiction of law enforcement agencies, and the DOJ’s participation is limited until there is a confirmed arrest.
Vida also said he has not received any information regarding the senator’s alleged arrest, including from the National Bureau of Investigation.
The justice secretary declined to comment on the possibility of arresting dela Rosa in the same manner as former President Rodrigo Duterte.
He said he would not engage in speculation and stressed that it would be better to wait for official statements from the agencies directly handling the matter.
According to Vida, the DOJ’s responsibility begins only after an arrest has been executed, at which point the department will undertake the appropriate legal procedures and case processing.
He emphasized that, at present, law enforcement agencies remain responsible for the situation.
Vida also reiterated that the DOJ has not yet received any official confirmation indicating that dela Rosa has been taken into custody.
The department maintained that it would refrain from commenting further until verified information is provided by the appropriate authorities.
The DOJ’s statement came as questions continued to arise regarding the legal process involving the senator.
For now, the department said it will wait for developments from law enforcement agencies before carrying out its role under the legal process.
No further details regarding any possible arrest were provided by the DOJ.
