Claire Castro to Bato: I know we are not saints

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Monday denounced anew Senator Ronald ''Bato'' Dela Rosa for claiming that the former thinks she is a saint. 

''I know we are not saints, lahat tayo hindi santo. Isa pa lang ang nagiging santo sa Pilipinas, si Saint Lorenzo Ruiz. Ah, dalawa sino pa ba iyong isa? Calunsod, yeah, yeah, Saint Calunsod. Okay, dalawa na. Hindi pa po tayo napapasama doon and we know that; mukhang malayo pong mangyari iyon,'' Castro said at a Palace press briefing. 

''Unang-una po, pinapatupad lamang po natin ang batas; sinabi naman po niya na valid ang warrant of arrest. Ang sabi din po natin, bakit natin sinusuko daw ang soberanya, hindi po tayo nagsusuko ng anumang soberanya. Sino ba ang naunang magsuko ng ibang parte nating karapatan sa ibang bansa, tayo po ba?'' she added.

She again criticized the senator for thinking about not surrendering to authorities once a warrant of arrest is issued against him. Castro earlier said it was puzzling that the lawmaker was a former chief of the Philippine National Police, but it seems he prefers to hide if a warrant of arrest is already there.

''Kung siya man po ay magtatago, hindi magandang maging modelo ang katulad ni Senator Bato na dati nang naging PNP chief. Hindi magiging magandang modelo iyan, dahil iyan po ay nang-ienganyo sa taong-bayan na kapag may warrant of arrest ay kailangang magtago na lamang,'' Castro said. 

Dela Rosa earlier said he is considering hiding and not surrendering in the event that authorities will implement a warrant of arrest issued by the ICC against him.

Dela Rosa, an ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte and his first Philippine National Police chief, has maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.—LDF, GMA Integrated News