By Ade S. Fajardo

Why is there a subpoena all of a sudden against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa?

Last Sunday, no less than Secretary Jonvic Remulla of the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced the issuance of the subpoena.

“It’s all related to the 100-plus complaints of EJK [extrajudicial killings] that occurred during his term as city director and regional director of Davao,” Remulla said.

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The reference to EJK was made after Remulla admitted that the subpoena was prompted by rumors.

“He has not been personally investigated. This was triggered by the rumors of the impending red notice, and we have taken now the path ourselves to continue the investigation on all these matters,” Remulla said in Sunday’s press conference.

The presscon comes in the heels of last week’s news reports that a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

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Remulla’s announcement reveals at least three things:

First, he is reacting to developments at the ICC despite his qualification that the Philippines has ceased to be a member.

Second, the subpoena was not issued on the basis of the Philippines’ own police investigation.

Third, rumors were taken as a building block for the implementation of an Interpol red notice.

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Republic Act 10973 grants subpoena powers to the chief of the Philippine National Police.

The director and the deputy director for administration of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also have subpoena powers under this law.

The subpoena must state the nature and purpose of the investigation.

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The purported purpose of the investigation is written on the subpoena itself: “Facts and circumstances surrounding the alleged EJKs in the Davao Region, based on the House of Representatives quad committee hearings, and the revelations made in public interviews by SPO3 Arturo Lascanas (Ret.)”

The quadcomm concluded its hearings and released its findings in December 2024, or more than a year ago.

The Lascanas affidavit has been available online since way before the ICC warrant of arrest was issued and implemented against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

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So why only now? Is this truly in honest pursuit of justice for the EJK victims?

One may not help but wonder in the context of another rumor that circulated this weekend.

The minority headed by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was supposedly conspiring to poach some members of the majority and unseat Senate President Tito Sotto in light of the impending transmittal of the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

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The rumor was that Bato would surface to register his vote, which is crucial to sustain a narrow margin over the erstwhile majority.

Lo and behold, he did appear at the Senate, and Cayetano is the new Senate president on the strength of a tenuous 13-member vote.

Now that Bato is in the building, former Senator Sonny Trillanes is saying he will serve the former’s ICC warrant of arrest.

Was the subpoena a decoy so he would think there was no such warrant yet?/WDJ