Bato says 'ready to face courts' over possible EJK charges
His rock Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa declared he is prepared to join former President Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague, Netherlands. The former president was arrested on Tuesday on a warrant from the International Criminal Court in connection with the killings under the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF EZRA ACAYAN/FB
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said he is ready to face charges if victims of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) decide to file a case against him.
“Kasuhan niyo kami kung gusto ninyo, hindi naman natutulog ang korte natin (You can file charges against us if you want, our court is not asleep),” he said, emphasizing that families of EJK victims can file a case against him and former president Rodrigo Duterte anytime if they have the evidence.
However, Dela Rosa stressed that his intention was to serve justice, saying, “Kung ang habol ko injustice, hindi na sana ako nagpulis! (If what I sought was injustice, I wouldn’t have become a policeman!),”
“Naging NPA na lang ako. Naging terorista ako. Kung injustice habol ko (I would have joined the NPA. I would have become a terrorist if I was after injustice),” he added.
The Senator reiterated that, as a police officer, he was simply fulfilling his duty, likening himself to any other Filipino seeking justice.
Dela Rosa was a key figure in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which reportedly resulted in about 7,000 deaths according to government figures.
However, local and international human rights groups have estimated the actual death toll to be over 30,000, most of whom were from low-income families and communities.
Duterte, now in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, faces charges of crimes against humanity for his administration's controversial war on drugs.