MANILA - A House lawmaker urged Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Thursday to face the allegations before the International Criminal Court over the bloody anti-drug campaign when he was still chief of the Philippine National Police during the Duterte administration.

House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Representative Jefferson Khonghun issued the statement after dela Rosa said he felt betrayed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who supposedly promised that his administration would never cooperate with the ICC. 

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Dela Rosa said he would seek refuge from the Senate for as long as it can protect him from the ICC, amid speculations that an arrest warrant against him was looming, following the Tuesday arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

But “if all legal remedies are exhausted”, dela Rosa said he will turn himself in peacefully.

“Hindi ko alam kung saan nanggagaling si Sen. Bato, pero kailangan niyang harapin ‘yung kaso. We are a country that is governed by certain rules. Talagang kailangan natin harapin ‘yung mga kasong fina-file sa atin at walang exempted doon. So ang suggestion ko nalang kay Sen. Bato is harapin ‘yung mga kaso na kinasasangkutan niya ngayon kasama ang dating Pangulo,” Khonghun said.

He reiterated the President’s position that the Philippine government did not cooperate with the ICC, but complied with the country’s commitment to the Interpol, where the ICC warrant for Duterte was coursed through.

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House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro, meanwhile, called on the Marcos Jr. administration to “fully” cooperate with the ICC. 

In 2019, the Philippines, under Duterte, officially withdrew from the ICC. But the court said that it still has jurisdiction over the alleged crimes that happened while the country was still a member.

“Dapat i-full cooperation niya na kasi hindi naman magagawa ni President Duterte ‘yan kung walang nag-execute din nung kanyang mga order… katulad ni Senator Bato dela Rosa... Kung hilingin ng ICC na pumunta or through Interpol na pumunta rin sa Hague ay dapat ay mag-cooperate ang Marcos administration,” Castro said.

“Tama lang na tumulong si President Marcos para makakuha ng hustisya and accountability… ‘yung pamilya ng mga biktima… Actually nga, long overdue na ito. Tatlong taon nang nakalipas ‘yung administration ni Presidente Marcos. Dapat nga may ginawa na rin sila para mapanagot din hindi lang si Duterte, pati siya, si Bato, at saka ‘yung iba pang mga pulis,” she added.