Bato: 'Takot ako makulong dahil kawawa ang mga apo ko'

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Wednesday admitted that he is "scared" about the idea of going to jail, but he maintains that he did not commit any crime amid the International Criminal Court's (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration's drug war.

“Takot ako na makulong dahil kawawa ang mga apo ko, hindi ko na makikita. ‘Yun lang ang akin. Buti kung makulong ka lang dito sa Pilipinas. Ikukulong ka doon sa Hague," said Dela Rosa in an interview on ANC. 

(I'm afraid to go to jail because of my grandchildren. I may not be able to see them. It would be ok if you'd be jailed in the Philippines, but you will be jailed at the Hague.)

"Paano makabisita ‘yung mga apo mo? They will grow up ‘lolo-less.’ Kawawa naman ‘yung mga apo ko. I love my apos so much,” he added. 

(How will my grandchildren visit me? They will grow up without a grandfather.) 

While he said he is afraid to go to jail, Dela Rosa maintained that he did "nothing wrong."

"Bakit lahat ba ng nakakulong ngayon ay talagang may kasalanan? Hindi naman. Hindi ako takot, na sabihin mo meron akong na- commit na kasalanan, no,” he said.

(Not everyone in jail is guilty. I am not scared if they'll tell me that I committed a mistake.)

The lawmaker issued the remark amid former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV’s claim that an arrest warrant is expected to be issued soon against former President Rodrigo Duterte and other respondents in connection with the ICC investigation into the “war on drugs.”

Trillanes said that the ICC investigators arrived in the country last December and were able to conduct interviews with concerned individuals.

Dela Rosa accused Trillanes of “destabilizing the relationship of the Dutertes with Malacañang.”

“Agitator ‘yan si Trillanes eh. He wants to destabilize the relationship between the Dutertes and Malacañang para magkagulo tayo dito,” he said.

Responding to this, Trillanes told GMA Integrated News, “Marami pa s’yang sinasabi, He should just man up and face the consequences of his actions.”

“Bato dela Rosa as PNP Chief implemented the [extrajudicial killings] policy of Duterte. Libu-libo ang mga pinatay na mga ordinaryong Pilipino... Sa ICC na lang s’ya magpaliwanag,” Trillanes said.

(Thousands of ordinary Filipinos were killed. He should explain to the ICC.)

Thanks Marcos

Dela Rosa, meanwhile, thanked President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after the Chief Executive said that the government will not "lift a finger" to help the ICC investigators. 

“Mr. President, I salute your bold statement. Ikaw ang Presidente na may bayag at may isang salita. Maraming maraming salamat, Mr. President,” Dela Rosa said.

(You are a President who is true to your word.)

“I really salute the president for his bold statements saying that ICC is a threat to our sovereignty which is very clearly every Filipino should think like that,” he added.

Now that the president’s stand on ICC is clear, Dela Rosa said Filipinos who are "pro-ICC" should no longer hope that he and former President Rodrigo Duterte will go to jail.

“These pro-ICC people will sugarcoat everything just to suit their desire. Nada. Never, wala kayong maasahan from this government na ‘yung kagustuhan niyo na si citizen Duterte at citizen Bato ay makulong. Ba-bye! Goodbye to your hopes," he said.

(You should not expect anything from this government on your desire for Duterte and Bato to be jailed.)

“Siguro itong mga Filipino na ito dapat pakantahin natin ng 1,000 times ng Bayang Magiliw,” Dela Rosa said, referring to the national anthem “Lupang Hinirang.”

(These Filipinos should sing "Bayang Magiliw" 1,000 times.)

In March last year, Dela Rosa, who earlier tagged himself as the “number 2 accused” in the ICC investigation, disclosed that during the 2022 election campaign, then-presidential candidate Marcos promised him that the ICC will not be able to touch even a single strand of his hair.

ICC investigation

An apparent change of tune in Marcos’ stance on the ICC investigation into the previous administration’s drug war floated when the president said in November last year that returning into the fold of the international tribunal is “under study” even though he maintained that there are “problems” with regards to the issue of jurisdiction.

To recall, Marcos said in February last year that he would not cooperate with the ICC investigation into the alleged abuses under Duterte’s drug war.

The ICC Appeals Chamber had denied the Philippine government’s appeal to stop the ICC probe on the drug war  because the Philippines failed to prove to the ICC that a legitimate investigation on the drug war killings and the prosecution of the perpetrators were being undertaken by Philippine authorities.

The ICC Prosecutor Pre-Trial chamber earlier observed, as regards to the drug war, that “the available material indicates, to the required standard, that a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population took place pursuant to or in furtherance of a State policy, within the meaning of Article 7(1) and (2)(a) of the Statute.”

Statistics vary depending on sources but according to Human Rights Watch, Duterte’s “war on drugs” resulted in the deaths of more than 12,000 Filipinos, mostly from the urban poor. —VAL, GMA Integrated News