Bato may temporarily stay in Senate to avoid ICC arrest

Metro Manila, Philippines - Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he could seek shelter in the Senate premises should the International Criminal Court issue an arrest order for his role as top implementer of the bloody drug war when he was national police chief of the Duterte administration.

Discussing possible scenarios in August last year, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero stated that a senator cannot be arrested while a session is ongoing.

In an interview with NewsWatch Plus on Friday, March 14, Dela Rosa said he had spoken to Escudero about his request for Senate protection, and that the Senate leader had committed to granting it.

NewsWatch Plus has reached out to Escudero for comment.

“Nag-commit siya sa akin na hangga’t kaya niya pwede akong protektahan sa Senado, gawin niya. Up to the extent legal, ‘yun lang ang kanyang kayang gawin,” Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: Escudero committed to me that as long as he can, he will protect me in the Senate, and he will do so. To the extent that it is legal, that's all he can do.]

“I can stay within the Senate premises and hindi pwedeng pumasok ang PNP (Philippine National Police) doon,” the former PNP chief added.

[Translation: I can stay within the Senate premises, and the PNP cannot enter.]

Asked if this is indeed his plan, Dela Rosa refused to confirm.

The 19th Congress will adjourn on July 27, marking the end of Dela Rosa’s first term. He is seeking reelection.

The senator said while he is willing to join former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court detention center in the Netherlands, he wants more time as a free man to explore legal relief for both himself and his longtime ally and former boss.

“We want to exhaust all available legal remedies and while waiting for that dapat secured tayo sa Senado [we should be secure in the Senate],” he said.

This includes the petition he and Duterte filed at the Supreme Court through their lawyers, seeking to stop the government from cooperating with the ICC and immediately release anyone arrested in connection with the drug war probe. They also filed a temporary restraining order to immediately stop the arrests, but this was denied by the high court. Dela Rosa said they plan to appeal.

The developments at the ICC mark the culmination of nine years since the tribunal first expressed concern over the thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings in the drug war, as well as deaths tied to the supposed Davao Death Squad during Duterte's tenure as mayor. Dela Rosa has called himself the “number 2 accused,” being Duterte’s first PNP chief at the height of the war on drugs.