Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa commended President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. for maintaining his stance against the International Criminal Court's (ICC) probe into the drug war, saying he is truly a "man with balls".
"Humahanga ako, I salute our President for his full statement lalo na sa pagdepensa ng soberanya ng ating bansa," he said in an interview during DZRH Damdaming Bayan on Thursday, January 25.
"Hindi niya ito sinusuko sa mga dayuhan na gustong makialam sa ating internal affairs. Humahanga ako sa ating Pangulo, mayroon siyang isang salita, talagang meron siyang bayag," he added.
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, hindi pakikipagtulungan sa ICC: I salute our President for his full statement lalo na sa pagdepensa ng soberanya ng ating bansa.#DamdamingBayan#SamaSamaTayoPilipino
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) January 25, 2024
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Last Tuesday, Marcos asserted that he considers ICC "a threat" to the Philippine sovereignty and therefore, his government "will not lift a finger to help" any of its investigation.
Del Rosa, who served as the Philippine National Police chief during the Duterte administration, hit on former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV for saying that the ICC is near to issuing an arrest warrant against him and former President Rodrigo Dutere.
He questioned if Trillanes was the international chamber's spokesperson for him to utter such a claim, and called the latter a "destabilizer" whose goal was to destroy the relationship between the Marcoses and Dutertes.
"Gusto niya mag-away ang Duterte at Marcos, 'yan ang gusto niyang mangyari kaya siya gumagawa ng istorya. Buo pa rin at malakas ang samahan ng Marcos at Duterte, nandiyan pa rin ang tiwala sa Pangulong Marcos," the Senator said.
Dela Rosa admitted that he is scared to get arrested and be imprisoned, considering he still has grandchildren to look after.
"Mahal na mahal ko ang mga apo ko, hindi ko naman sila pwedeng dalhin sa kulungan. Ang kinakatakutan ko lang kapag ako ay nakulong, hindi ko na makikita ang aking mga apo," he shared.
In October last year, Trillanes, who sits as the Magdalo national chairman, called on the Marcos administration to allow the ICC to probe the alleged crimes against humanity during the bloody drug war and make Duterte accountable.
Dela Rosa trusts that the government would not extend assistance to the ICC regardless of "sugarcoating" statements from some people.
If the investigation pursues, he said Senator Francis 'Tol' Tolentino and former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque would stand as his and Duterte's legal counsels.
