Padilla’s lawyer, Jimmy Bondoc show up for DOJ preliminary investigation on obstruction of justice raps

Sen. Robin Padilla accompanies fellow senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as he files his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections in Manila on October 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — The lawyer of Sen. Robinhood Padilla appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday for the preliminary investigation of the obstruction of justice complaint against the lawmaker over allegations that he helped Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa evade arrest.

Padilla’s lawyer Henry Balteza said they were scheduled to submit the senator’s counter-affidavit Friday.

“Pursuant to the process of DOJ, he will be filing his counter-affidavit and we will be following the directives of the DOJ. The filing is scheduled for today,” Balteza said.

He declined to disclose details of the preliminary investigation.

Jimmy Bondoc, counsel for Padilla’s co-respondent, also arrived at the DOJ shortly before noon.

“The only reason why we do not disclose the name of our client is because he was erroneously included in this case. He’s not present at all. It’s just a theory of our defense that it is a case of error of persona, mistaken identity,” Bondoc said.

“So we are avoiding any more undue attention to our client kaya hindi na namin pinapangalanan. It’s nothing secretive,” he added.

Asked about the allegations against his client, Bondoc said, “We are unaware of the exact accusation against our client except that his car was there.”

“He was actually elsewhere receiving medical treatment [during the alleged incident],” he added.

Bondoc said his client would also submit a counter-affidavit.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) filed the complaint against Padilla and his co-respondents over their alleged involvement in Dela Rosa’s escape from the Senate building after the International Criminal Court unsealed a warrant of arrest against him over the Duterte administration’s drug war.