After ICC rejects PH plea, Dela Rosa says, ‘I’ll protect myself’

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said he would protect himself from arrest even after he expressed confidence that nothing would come out of the International Criminal Court prosecutor's investigation into the killings in the Philippines' war on drugs.

Dela Rosa made the remark shortly after the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected the country's appeal to stop the ICC prosecutor's investigation into the killings attributed to the war on drugs.

"If they cannot protect me, I will protect myself," Dela Rosa said.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Dela Rosa, Duterte's first chief of the Philippine National Police, are among the Filipino officials who have been mentioned in the ICC prosecutor's report on the drug war killings.

"Hanapin n'yo ako. I am within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines. Dito lang ako…Kung mahanap nila ako, ang next step nila is arestuhin nila ako. Then tingnan nila kung maaresto nila ako," Dela Rosa said.

"Kung gusto nila akong hulihin, hanapin nila ako. Andyan lang ako sa Senado," he added.

(Look for me.  I am within the territorial jurisdiction of the Philippines. I'm just here... If they find me, their next step is to arrest me. Let me see if they can arrest me. If they want to arrest me, they have to look for me. I'm just there in the Senate.)

Unfazed, confident

Dela Rosa said he and Duterte were unfazed by the ICC investigation.

He adverted to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos' position that the ICC had no jurisdiction over the country.

“'Di ako na-surprise, hindi ako concerned, hindi ako nababagabag. Alam ko naman talaga desidido sila ituloy. E, di ituloy nila ‘yung kanilang imbestigasyon,” Dela Rosa said.

(I was not surprised, I am not concerned, I am unfazed. I knew that they wanted to continue the investigation. Let them do so.)

As regards Marcos' position on the ICC, Dela Rosa said, “Confident ako dahil ilang beses nang sinabi ng ating Pangulo ‘yan. Not unless magbago ang kanyang isip. But kung magbago ang kanyang isip… what can I do?"

"Pero confident ako. He’s a true Filipino. Pilipino siya at ayaw niyang didikatahan tayo ng ibang entity. Ayaw nyang panghimasukan ang ating domestic life. So confident ako,” he added.

(I'm confident because the President has mentioned that several times. Unless he changed his mind. If changes his mind... what can I do? But I'm confident. He's a true Filipino. He's a Filipino and he doesn't want to be dictated on by another entity. He doesn't want any interference into our domestic life. So, I'm confident.)

In March 2022, Dela Rosa shared that then-presidential candidate Marcos promised him that the ICC would not be able touch even a strand of his hair.

Jurisdiction, sovereignty

Marcos in February said he would not cooperate with the inquiry of the ICC into the killings in the war on drugs.

“I have stated it often, even before I took office as President, that there are many questions about their jurisdiction and what we in the Philippines regard as an intrusion into our internal matters and a threat to our sovereignty,” Marcos said then.

“So no, I do not see what their jurisdiction is. I feel that we have in our police, in our judiciary, a good system. We do not need assistance from any outside entity, the Philippines is a sovereign nation, and we are not colonies anymore of these former imperialists,” he added.

Dela Rosa also shared his conversation with former President Duterte three or four nights ago.

“Nabanggit ‘yung about ICC. Tumatawa man lang siya. Sabi niya walang patutunguhan ‘yan. ‘You don’t need to unduly stress yourself,’” Dela Rosa said.

(The ICC was mentioned. He just laughed. He said nothing would come out of it. 'You don't need to unduly stress yourself.)

Duterte met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday in Beijing.

"'Di ko alam kung nandu'n pa," Dela Rosa said when asked for Duterte's whereabouts.

(I don't know if he's still there.)

Appeal rejected

ICC Appeals Chamber Presiding Judge Marc Perrin de Brichambaut during an open court hearing in The Netherlands said the Philippines' appeal against the continuation of the investigation had been rejected.

“Before I address the merits of the appeal, I would like to state that it is rejected by the Appeal Chamber by majority and that the impugned decision is, therefore, confirmed,” Brichambaut said.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra had said that the Philippines could no longer file an appeal with this decision.

Guevarra said the ICC could also indict certain individuals over the killings in the drug war if there was sufficient evidence. —NB, GMA Integrated News