Senator Robin Padilla. Photo courtesy of PNA.
The Philippine National Police said Monday its obstruction of justice complaint against Sen. Robin Padilla remained intact despite being returned by the Department of Justice over technical requirements.
PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co said the return of the complaint was part of the coordination process between prosecutors and law enforcement agencies.
Co said the DOJ had only required the PNP to address missing documents or other deficiencies in the complaint.
He said the move did not affect the substance of the case against Padilla.
The PNP said it would resubmit the complaint to the DOJ once the required documents had been completed.
The DOJ earlier returned the complaint under Department Circular No. 20, which sets the reasonable certainty of conviction standard in case build-up.
The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group filed the complaint after Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa left the Senate premises in May despite an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s drug war.
Dela Rosa was last seen leaving the Senate with Padilla in the early hours of May 14. Padilla maintained that Dela Rosa only hitched a ride and got off in Makati City, while the CIDG alleged that the senator gave indispensable cooperation in Dela Rosa’s escape.