Bato Dela Rosa says he 'feels betrayed' by Marcos after Duterte's ICC arrest
Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa couldn't help but feel "betrayed" by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. following the International Criminal Court arrest of his longtime ally, former president Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his deadly war on drugs.
Dela Rosa talked about Duterte's arrest in a phone interview with the press.
"Feeling betrayed. Betrayal to the max," the senator said about Marcos breaking his promise not to hand over Duterte to the criminal court.
"Very vivid pa sa ang aking memory when he told me. Nag-usap kami sa Malacañang na never siyang mag-cooperate sa ICC. Talagang sinabi niya sa akin hinding-hindi ako mag-cooperate sa ICC. Dahil after ninyo, baka kami naman," he recalled.
Marcos previously said no to a question on whether he would surrender his predecessor to the ICC if they would issue a warrant of arrest.
"We don't recognize the warrant that they will send to us. That's a no," he said at a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in April 2024.
"We are well within international law when we take the position of not recognizing the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines," he added.
In a press conference following Duterte's arrest, however, the chief executive said that they complied with it due to the Philippines' commitments to Interpol, reasoning, "If we don't do that, they will no longer help us with other cases involving Filipino fugitives abroad. This is what the international community expects of us as the leader of a democratic country that is part of the community of nations."
Dela Rosa criticized Marcos' explanation as a "very flimsy alibi."
"That only goes to show na talagang sila ay interesado na i-commit si [dating] President Duterte doon sa ICC. Eh President ka naman ng Pilipinas, kaya mo naman sabihing you can reject," he said.
"Masyado silang atat na atat. Napakababaw 'yan," he continued.
'I'm ready to submit myself to authorities'
According to ICC assistant to counsel Atty. Kristina Conti, Dela Rosa and Oscar Albayalde may be served their warrant of arrest soon by the ICC. "May tatlong pangalan kasing binanggit doon sa mga dokumento ng ICC. Noon pa man sinisilip nila na responsible: Duterte, Bato dela Rosa at Oscar Albayalde," she told DZBB Super Radyo on March 12.
"Senator Bato Dela Rosa, who would be considered one of the persons most responsible; Oscar Albayalde, who has also been named in the documents as liable. Malinaw para sa amin na si Duterte ang puno't dulo nito kaya okay na 'yung may mauna kaysa mahuli siya," she also said in a separate interview with ANC.
Dela Rosa stressed that he will not go into hiding and will proceed with his campaign for the upcoming elections.
"Yeah, I will live a normal life. I will live a normal life unless warrant is being served. If warrant is to be served, then I'm ready," the former Philippine National Police chief said in the same phone interview. "I'm ready to submit myself. I'm ready to submit myself to the authorities."
Duterte was arrested on Tuesday, March 11 for crimes against humanity in connection with his administration's bloody war on drugs called Oplan Tokhang that saw the execution of thousands of suspected drug peddlers, users, and small-time criminals.
He has departed the Philippines to face the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.
