Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 29) — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday said he will look into Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel after former communist rebels claimed that the lawmaker was responsible for insurgent groups’ efforts to recruit young people.
This comes amid growing calls from congressmen, including Manuel, for the country to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigation into former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war, which was spearheaded by Dela Rosa who was Duterte’s police chief.
“Talagang tuwang tuwa siya na imbestigahan ako ng ICC. Tingnan natin ngayon ikaw ang imbestigahan ko,” Dela Rosa said during a Senate hearing into Resolution No. 863, which tackles the “continuous radicalization and recruitment of students in educational institutions to the local communist terrorist groups” such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
[Translation: He was really happy that the ICC will investigate me. Let’s see now when you are the one I will investigate.]
\”I will do all my parliamentary powers to pin you down,\” he added. \”Tingnan natin ikaw pala talaga ay miyembro ng CPP [We’ll see that you’re actually a member of the CPP], which is the partido of the NPA who’s trying to destroy this government.\”
According to Dela Rosa, ex-rebels claimed that Manuel was enlisting the youth to join the NPA, especially students, and even visited camps to prove his membership to his recruits.
“Former membership of CPP [is] not a crime. Pero yung pag-recruit ng mga bata na naging miyembro ng NPA [But recruitment of youth into the NPA], that is a crime. Dineclare ng former rebels na nagrerecruit siya for NPA,” the senator said.
If proven true, Dela Rosa said Manuel would be held liable for violating existing laws, particularly the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Meanwhile, Kabataan Partylist said this is not the first time Dela Rosa has thrown false accusations against youth lawmakers, citing a similar incident that happened against former Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago.
The group said Dela Rosa filed trumped-up charges against Elago which was later dismissed due to lack of evidence.
The Kabataan Party-list slammed the senator’s red-tagging, adding that Dela Rosa confirmed that he launched the hearing to throw mud at other lawmakers and retaliate against the group’s stance to promote the ICC’s drug war probe.
\”Hindi ito asal senador,\” the party-list said. \”Pag-aaksaya ito ng rekurso ng Senado at pag-abuso sa pondo ng bayan. Hindi dapat gamitin ng sinumang opisyal ang kanyang posisyon sa gobyerno para umalpas sa kanyang pananagutan at atakihin ang mga kabataan at kababayan nating nagsusulong ng hustisya.\”
[Translation: This is not how a senator must behave. This is a waste of Senate resources and abuse of public funds. No official should use his position in the government to run away from his responsibility and attack the youth and our countrymen who promote justice.]
The group further said that the only investigation that should quickly move forward is that on the bloody war on drugs led by Duterte and Dela Rosa.
The Gabriela Women’s Party and progressive organization Anakbayan also denounced Dela Rosa’s red-tagging, pointing out that the hearing’s “inconspicuous timing” appeared to be intended to thwart public clamor for the ICC’s investigation into the drug war.
“Scheduled at the same time as the House of Representatives is deliberating on the ICC investigation which will undoubtedly put Bato’s reputation in jeopardy, this also serves as a red herring in order to divert the people’s attention,” Anakbayan said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier said his administration is studying whether the country should rejoin the ICC, but insisted that the body has “no jurisdiction” to probe the drug war killings.
Dela Rosa earlier expressed confidence that Marcos would protect him from the ICC investigtion. They talked about it again at a “casual dinner” on Wednesday night.
“Basta nakangisi ako, naka smile [I was smiling]. I don’t have to reveal the details. Happy ako, happy,” the senator said.
An ICC prosecutor estimated that around 12,000 to 30,000 civilians were killed from July 2016 to March 2019 in connection with Duterte’s nationwide anti-drug campaign spearheaded by Dela Rosa. These figures are much higher than government data of around 6,000 deaths.
However, should ICC be allowed to reopen its probe, it would begin from Nov. 1, 2011 until March 16, 2019 — covering drug war crimes allegedly committed in the Davao region when Duterte served as mayor up to the end of his presidential term. This includes information on the so-called “Davao Death Squad” which allegedly killed around 385 victims.
