SENATOR ‘BATO’ SHOULD NOT EVADE ARREST BY ICC – PALACE OFFICIAL

SENATOR Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa should not go into hiding if he were to evade arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to his involvement in former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s violent campaign against illegal drugs.

“Inamin na ni Senator Bato, ‘valid ang warrant of arrest,’ siya na ang nagsabi. Kung siya man po ay magtatago, hindi magandang maging modelo ang katulad ni Senator Bato na dati nang naging PNP chief,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told a press briefing on Monday.

Castro noted De la Rosa’s acknowledgment of the validity of the ICC warrant of arrest issued to Duterte and carried out by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).

Duterte, currently detained in an ICC facility in The Hague, Netherlands, is awaiting trial for crimes against humanity, specifically related to the extrajudicial killings during his presidency.

Castro stated that if De la Rosa were to evade arrest by the ICC and seek refuge in the Senate, as previously reported, it would set a poor example for ordinary Filipinos.

“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.