Sen. Bato dela Rosa Says SP Chiz Escudero Vowed To Protect Him
BATO DELA ROSA – The Senate claimed he will seek the protection that the Senate can give if the International Criminal Court (ICC) will issue a warrant of arrest.
The war on drugs of the Duterte administration has caught the attention of the International Criminal Court. The Philippines was under the jurisdiction of the ICC when the popular campaign of the previous admin has started.
In 2019, amid the ICC probing his administration’s drug war, then-Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte removed the Philippines from the International Criminal Court. However, on its statement, the ICC highlighted that there were crimes that were allegedly committed when the country was still under the Rome Statute.
Former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was recently arrested by the members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) upon his arrival from Hong Kong. He was brought to The Hague in the Netherlands for the trial.
Another Filipino that is seemingly investigated by the ICC is Sen. Bato dela Rosa for his role in the drug war of the Duterte administration. He was the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the term of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Sen. Bato dela Rosa filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking for an immediate TRO (Temporary Restraining Order) that could prevent the Philippine government for further cooperating with the ICC. The high court denied the request of the Senator.
Meanwhile, the SC said that a TRO is still possible as it only denied the “immediate” TRO that Dela Rosa was asking. According to the Senator, if all legal remedies will fail, he is willing to join former Pres. Duterte at The Hague.
Dela Rosa stressed that he does not want his family to go through the scenario, thus, he is willing to peacefully surrender himself in case all legal remedies failed when faced with an arrest warrant by the ICC.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Sen. Bato dela Rosa will also seek the protection that the Senate can provide if the ICC will release an arrest warrant against him. According to him, if the upper chamber could no longer protect him, that’s when he will surrender himself.
“Kung lalabas yung warrant of arrest ko at ako’y papahuli talaga ng ating gobyerno, I will avail of the protection that is going to be afforded to me by the Senate as an institution,” Dela Rosa said.
Based on the report, Sen. Bato dela Rosa claimed that Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero vowed to give him protection as long as the Senate can.
“[He said] wag ka mag-aalala I will do everything I can as your Senate President, I can give you the protection hanggang kaya nya,” the Senator said.
Following the arrest of Duterte, Dela Rosa tagged it as a betrayal allegedly committed by Pres. Bongbong Marcos. According to him, the Chief Executive has allegedly not kept his word.