Metro Manila, Philippines – After previously expressing his willingness to join former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court Detention Center, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa now admits he is considering other options, including going into hiding, to evade his possible arrest.
“Kasama iyan sa courses of action na pwedeng gawin (That is among the courses of action we can take),” Dela Rosa said in a phone interview with reporters on Wednesday, March 19.
Dela Rosa also mentioned the possibility of seeking refuge in the Senate for an extended period, even after exhausting all legal remedies against the ICC arrest.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has stated that it is institutional courtesy for authorities not to arrest any lawmaker while inside Senate premises. He added that this privilege could be extended to Dela Rosa if the ICC issues an arrest warrant while his legal remedies are still unresolved.
“Pag nandiyan ako sa loob, wala naman siya (Escudero) magawa. Alangan naman sabihin, palayasin niya ako,” Dela Rosa said.
“Pag palayasin niya ako, then depende na. Titingnan ko sitwasyon kung lalayas na ba ako o hindi,” he added.
[Translation: Once I’m inside the Senate premises, he (Escudero) can’t do anything. It’s not like he can tell me to leave. If he tells me to leave, then it depends. I’ll assess the situation to see if I will leave or not.]
Asked if surrendering remains an option, Dela Rosa refused to give a categorical answer.
”Many options are open for me. I cannot say definitely what option I’m going to take as of the moment,” he said.
Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief and implementer of the bloody drug war which the ICC has investigated for years, said he would take measures to evade arrest if he sees that justice is not aptly served in the country.
“Kung wala tayong makita na hustisya dito sa ating bansa, bakit ka susuko (If we don’t see justice in our country, why would you surrender)?” he asked.
“Titingnan natin. Kung mayroong makita natin, may glimmer of hope na yung Supreme Court ay talagang panindigan niya yung kanyang pagiging independent… I will evaluate,” he added.
[Translation: We’ll see. If we find something, a glimmer of hope that the Supreme Court will truly uphold its independence… I will evaluate.]
Dela Rosa has a pending petition urging the Supreme Court to prevent the government from cooperating with the international tribunal.
When asked about his previous statement that he wanted to take care of Duterte at the ICC, Dela Rosa said he has realized he would not be of any help to his former boss in detention.
“Mahirap man doon. Ultimo yung anak nga. Hindi makalapit. Hindi makabisita nang basta-basta yung anak na si Vice President Sara. How much more kung ako, na pareho lang kaming detainee,” Dela Rosa said.
[Translation: It’s hard there. Even the child can’t get close. Vice President Sara can’t visit freely. How much more if it’s me, both of us being detainees.]
Duterte was arrested on March 11 by virtue of a warrant from the ICC for crimes against humanity, allegedly ordering killings during his time as Davao mayor and president of the country. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that the arrest was in line with the country’s commitment to the International Criminal Police Organization. Duterte had initially appeared virtually at the ICC pre-trial chamber last week and is scheduled to face pre-trial proceedings in September.
Dela Rosa earlier stated that he had received intelligence indicating that the ICC warrant included both him and Duterte. He mentioned that he had been receiving new information regarding his potential arrest but did not provide details.
