MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday remained adamant that he will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in any effort to investigate the bloody drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
He made the remark after the ICC requested the Philippines to comment on the proposed reopening of the court’s investigation of the controversial drug war, which Dela Rosa was the chief implementer as the chief of police then.
“Para mo akong sinusugba, parang gusto mo kong ihawin sa sarili kong apoy. I am the number 2 accused and gusto mo akong papasok na lang sa kanilang kagustuhan,” Dela Rosa said when asked in an interview over ABS CBN News Channel if he would cooperate if the ICC asks him to cooperate on the probe.
(It’s like you want to roast me in my own fire. I am the number 2 accused and you want me to just succumb to their whims.)
READ: ICC asks PH, victims to comment on resumption of drug war probe
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan proposed the reopening of the probe last June 24. Then on July 14, the ICC asked the Philippines and the drug war victims and their families for their comments on the matter.
It gave the Philippines until Sept. 8 to submit its additional observations.
Dela Rosa clarified that he is not afraid of facing the ICC for the drug war issue. He said he just does not want to be tried by Western judges who, the senator said, have no knowledge of the ongoing drug problem in the country.
“Wala akong kinakatakutan, ang takot ko lang, ‘yung magta-try sa ‘kin, hindi alam ‘yung problema dito sa ating bansa kaya ang kinakatakutan ko na hindi nila alam ‘yung ginagawa natin dito,” he said.
(I don’t fear anything. I just don’t want them to try me when they don’t know what’s the problem here in the country and they don’t know what the government is doing.)
“I can face any courts kung gusto mo akong kasuhan, dito kasuhan mo ako sa korte ng Pilipinas. Alam ko na mga Pilipino ang magta-try sa ‘kin ‘pag ganun. Ikaw ba payag kang i-try ka ng foreigner, ng isang foreign entity?” the senator added.
(I can face any courts if you want to charge me; file a case against me in a Philippine court. I’ll know that Filipinos will try me there. Would you consent if a foreigner or a foreign entity tries you?)
The former Philippine National Police chief during the height of the drug war maintained that the Philippines has a working judicial system, saying it’s an “insult” to the country’s justice system to have the ICC come in and investigate.
“Who are they to judge our working judicial system? Bakit sila nakikialam dito sa ating domestic affairs? Siguro pwede silang pumasok kung hindi gumagana ‘yung ating justice system pero it’s perfectly working, wala namang akong nakikitang problema,” he said.
(Why are they infringing on our domestic affairs? Maybe they can come in if our justice system is not working but it’s perfectly working. I don’t see any problem.)
“Gusto nila sila na lang ang mag-Supreme Court dito sa Pilipinas? Sila na lang ang maging Department of Justice ng Pilipinas? Sobrang panghihimasok na ‘yan sa ating domestic affairs. That’s a total infringement of our sovereignty,” Dela Rosa added.
(They want to be the Supreme Court here? They want to be the DOJ here? That’s a total infringement of our domestic affairs, our sovereignty.)
Dela Rosa had been adamant in refusing to cooperate in any ICC efforts to probe the alleged human rights violations committed during President Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.
He and Duterte are co-accused for crimes against humanity mounted by rights victims and kin of alleged state-sponsored extra-judicial killings before the ICC.
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