Bato lawyer slams P50M bounty: ‘It invites people to take law into their own hands’
Protesters gather outside the Philippine Senate in Pasay City on May 13, 2026, calling for the immediate arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. The International Criminal Court recently confirmed the issuance of an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa—originally issued under seal in November 2025—as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in killings related to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN NewsMANILA — The legal counsel of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa slammed newspaper columnist Mon Tulfo and his support for the P50-million bounty placed by the government for the senator’s arrest.
“Mr. Ramon Tulfo says ‘the table has been turned.’ I said the P50-million bounty on Senator [D]ela Rosa invites people to take the law into their own hands, and Mr. Tulfo calls the bounty karma,” lawyer Israelito Torreon said in a social media post.
“Let me set the record straight. I am not pleading for mercy. Mr. Tulfo says my client is ‘pleading for mercy’ through me. He is not, and neither am I,” Torreon said, noting he was simply asking the government to show a warrant issued by a Philippine court.
“That is not a plea for mercy. It is a demand that the government follow the law. My client asks only for the same Constitution that protects every Filipino, including the people Mr. Tulfo says were wronged.”
Torreon added that the government seemed to be doing the very same thing his client was being accused of.
“If acting without a warrant was wrong then hunting a man without a Philippine warrant is wrong now. The rule of law is not a weapon we use only against people we dislike,” Torreon said.
Torreon stressed that Dela Rosa should be tried before a Philippine tribunal.
“If there was a crime, there is a Philippine court. The Philippines has its own law on crimes against humanity: Republic Act No. 9851. Our courts have jurisdiction over those crimes,” the lawyer said.
“If the government truly believes my client committed them, let it file the case here, before a Philippine judge who will examine the evidence. It has not done so. Instead, it has put a price on a senator’s head for the benefit of a foreign court.”
Torreon’s social media post follows the Senate minority bloc’s statement backing Dela Rosa.
It said it stood with Dela Rosa “in defending his right to due process and supporting his call to answer the accusations against him before Philippine courts.”
“We believe a peaceful resolution that respects our laws and protects lives remains possible,” the statement read.
The minority offered to help facilitate discussions between the administration and Dela Rosa’s counsel.