Bato dela Rosa to seek Senate protection from ICC

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald “Bato ” dela Rosa will seek protection from Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero so that the upper chamber would not hand him over to authorities should a warrant for his arrest be issued at the request of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Dela Rosa broke his silence on Wednesday to finally address the arrest of his close friend, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is now en route to the ICC headquarters in the Netherlands to face alleged crimes against humanity as a result of his administration’s brutal war against illegal drugs that killed thousands of drug suspects.

READ: Plane carrying Duterte leaves PH for The Hague

In a phone patch interview with reporters, dela Rosa said he has yet to talk to Escudero but plans to do so as soon as possible.

Being Duterte’s former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, dela Rosa was also the chief enforcer of the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign — which landed him on the roster of officials who were accused of crimes against humanity by families of drug war victims.

“Hanggat kaya ng Senate President [na] kupkupin muna ako na hindi muna niya ako i-surrender kung may warrant of arrest na [at] may session kami. I hope respetuhin din siya ng executive branch of government kasi meron naman yang mga ganon na protocol,” said dela Rosa.

(As much as the Senate President could, for him to protect me and not to surrender me should there be a warrant of arrest and while we are in session. I hope the executive branch of government will respect this because there is such a protocol).

One of the privileges of being a member of Congress is not being arrested.

Section 11, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution specifically states that a senator or a member of the House of Representatives shall, in all offenses punishable by not more than six years imprisonment, be privileged from arrest while the Congress is in session.

As stated in the Senate website, this privilege is intended to ensure representation of the constituents by the members of Congress.

“These privileges are thus secured not with the intention of protecting the members against prosecutors for their own benefit, but to support the rights of the people, by enabling their representatives to execute the function of their office without fear of prosecution, civil or criminal,” said the Constitutional provision quoted in the Senate website.