SC denies Bato TRO; ICC warrant stands

Added: 2026-05-21

[00:00:04]A delightful Wednesday evening [music] to all of you. This is Patrick de Jesus who's pleased to bring you PTV News Now.

[00:00:10]And we kick off tonight's top stories.

[00:00:14]Malacañang says the [music] ICC-related arrest warrant against Senator Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa remains valid after the Supreme Court denied his request for a temporary restraining order. Palace press officer Claire Castro said the administration recognizes the warrant's validity [music] while also citing the office of the solicitor general's view that de la Rosa may now be considered a [music] fugitive.

[00:00:42]The Supreme Court voting 9-5-1 in a special en banc session rejected de la Rosa's bid [music] to stop government agencies from enforcing any ICC-related warrant or red notice without a Philippine court order. The Palace also called it improper for Senator de la Rosa to leave the Senate premises through [music] a vehicle owned by Senator Robin Padilla.

[00:01:08]As authorities continue to review CCTV footage >> [music] >> and other evidence surrounding the incident.

[00:01:17]High-end wheels or luxury cars are coveted all over the planet even more in developing and the third world nations where taxes and duties send the cost of such automobiles to the stratosphere.

[00:01:32]Case in point, Customs and Border Protection agents in the Port of Baltimore in Maryland seek out carjacked or stolen luxury vehicles headed for Africa. Which VOA correspondent Steve Herman takes on in this special report.

[00:01:50]US Customs and Border Protection has a nearly impossible assignment. Trying to intercept all the stolen automobiles leaving the country.

[00:02:01]Here at the Port of Baltimore, the hundreds that officers do discover annually are mostly bound for a particular region of the world, according to the CBP's Adam Rottman. I'd say 90 to 95% of every one of our stolen automobiles is headed to West Africa.

[00:02:17]Auto theft is a problem accelerating across the US, according to University of Miami criminology Professor Alex Piquero. There are people who are stealing cars and car parts to sell them very quickly in the local markets. And then there are people literally stealing cars and literally putting them on containers and selling them, you know, shipping them all over the world, not just to Africa, but also to the Middle East and to Asia. CBP uses mobile giant X-ray machines to scan containers and determine whether they seem suspicious and should be [music] opened.

[00:02:51]The manifest for this container did not list any vehicles, explains CBP Port of Baltimore Director Rottman. It's supposed to be only household goods in there. In this example, there's four at least three, probably four cars in that container. This 2021 Mercedes-Benz, valued at $48,000, was fraudulently purchased in the state of Ohio with a stolen identity. It was intercepted here in Maryland and was intended to be shipped to the West African country of Togo. This container we just opened today, um the vehicle on the top here, that that Honda, we've already verified through the VIN number that that car is stolen. Uh there is two more in the back. There's another one hanging from chains. Law enforcement says criminals frequently rent cars for a 30-day period, drive the vehicles directly into a container, and post a fake VIN, the vehicle identification number, over the real one.

[00:03:49]The car will not be reported stolen for a month. By then, it could already be on a ship on the high seas. Rottman's team hopes to intercept such cars before they head out to sea. We noticed that the the check digit on the VIN doesn't match what's supposed to be on a Ford truck.

[00:04:08]Authorities in some countries in Africa are now working with Interpol to try to seize stolen vehicles that managed to slip past US port checks. But that cooperation is inconsistent, says Professor Piquero. Some governments will play nicer and other governments won't.

[00:04:25]You can't search every container. You know, that's why the the security at the port is so critically important. With so many buyers seeking a deal on a used car, often with no questions asked, there is unlikely to be a slowdown in the global traffic of stolen vehicles.

[00:04:42]Steve Herman, VOA News, Sparrows Point, [music] Maryland.

[00:04:50]So, that's a wrap for tonight's show.

[00:04:52][music] Join us anew tomorrow night for another round of stories here and abroad breaking at the hour. And remember to always [music] stay connected by catching the news right here. I'm Patrick de Jesus, wishing you all a restful night ahead, and thank you for watching [music] PTV News Now.