Duterte laughed off ICC investigation, says Bato dela Rosa

Former President Rodrigo Duterte laughed off the prospect of the International Criminal Court continuing its investigation on the thousands of killings in the Philippines' war on drugs during his administration, Senator Ronald Dela Rosa has said.

Shortly after the ICC Appeals Chamber rejected the Philippines' appeal against the continuation of the investigation on the war on drugs, Dela Rosa shared his conversation with the former leader a few 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 issue was mentioned. He just laughed. Nothing will come out of that, he said. 'You don't need to unduly stress yourself.)

‘Shrugged off’

Atty. Harry Roque, Duterte's spokesperson when we was still President, said Duterte had "shrugged off the ICC’s  decision dismissing the Sol-Gen’s apppeal from an Order of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber authorizing the ICC to pursue  Preliminary Examination  on the Drug War."

"FPRRD  has always maintained that as an independent and sovereign state, only Philippine courts can try any crime committed in PHL territory," Roque said.

"He has time and again said that because of this, he will face  all his accusers anytime but before Philippine courts and before Filipino Judges only," he added.

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.

The former President on Monday met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

"'Di ko alam kung nandu'n pa," Dela Rosa said when asked about 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.

‘No jurisdiction’

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.

“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.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has also said the Philippine government would not comply if the ICC would issue a warrant of arrest against some individuals over killings attributed to the war on drug

“'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.)

Marcos promise

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. —NB, GMA Integrated News