LA PAZ, Iloilo City —Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Friday said that he is prepared to go to The Hague, the Netherlands should the International Criminal Court (ICC) also issue a warrant of arrest against him for implementing the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.
The reelectionist senator said this during a grand rally of PDP Laban in Iloilo City, as he defended once again the anti-illegal drug campaign which killed thousands of Filipinos.
Sen. Bato dela Rosa on the possible ICC arrest warrant against him: “I’m ready to go anytime.” @gmanewspic.twitter.com/TXGzSSweAn
— Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) April 25, 2025
“Anong magagawa ko kung ayan ang kapalaran ko? Basta ang importante, nagawa ko ang dapat gawin habang ako ay buhay dito sa mundo. Ginawa ko ‘yung war on drugs, ginawa namin ang lahat,” Dela Rosa said.
(What could I do if that’s my fate? The important thing is I did what I had to do while I’m alive in this world. I did the war on drugs, we did everything we could.)
“Kaya ako, I’m ready to go anytime. Ang buhay ko’y nakataya na, naka-kasa na. Anytime, pwede akong mamalasin dahil sa aking adbokasiya na ito. Pero never si Bato aatras sa laban na ito, I tell you,” he added.
(That’s why I’m ready to go anytime. My life’s already at stake. I could face bad luck anytime because of my advocacy. But I will never back down from this fight, I tell you.)
Dela Rosa was chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte and was the chief implementer of the war on drugs.
Duterte is now detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague for charges of crimes against humanity for the extrajudicial killings during the drug war. He was arrested in the Philippines by local authorities last March 11 based on a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC.
Dela Rosa previously said he is considering hiding and not surrendering if the ICC issues a warrant against him.
From donning a disguise to planning strategies, the incumbent lawmaker also said he has to be “flexible” in the face of a possible ICC arrest warrant.
Dela Rosa had also said he is no longer expecting justice from the Marcos administration following Duterte’s arrest.
CPP-NPA-NDF
In the campaign sortie, Dela Rosa also alleged that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) were the ones behind the arrest of Duterte in The Hague.
“Akala kasi ng mga kalaban ni Pangulong Duterte na sila ay nakikinabang rito. Yes, totoo ‘yun, sumakay sila, ginamit nila ang ICC, wineaponize nila. Akala nila sila ang nakinabang, pero hindi nila alam, sa likuran pala ng lahat ng ito ay ‘yung CPP-NPA-NDF,” he said.
(The enemies of Duterte thought they were benefiting from this. Yes, that’s true, they used the ICC as a weapon. But they didn’t know that the CPP-NPA-NDF was behind all of this.)
“[Sila ang] nasa likod, tuwang tuwa sa mga pangyayari ngayon,” he continued.
(They are the ones very happy about what’s happening now because they’re behind this.)
GMA News Online is trying to get reactions to Dela Rosa’s remarks from concerned groups.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan earlier disclosed that two witnesses, 16 hours of audio video files, and nearly 9,000 pages of documents are now being prepared for the confirmation of charges against Duterte.
Khan also committed to completing the review and disclosure of evidence in its possession no later than 30 days before September 23—the date of the next hearing on the confirmation of the charges against the former president.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
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