SENATOR Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa speaks out against alleged coercion by International Criminal Court investigators, claiming retired police officers are being threatened to testify against him and former President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with the controversial war on drugs. Dela Rosa vowed to initiate a Senate inquiry, even as Malacañang challenged him to provide proof, dismissing his allegations as unsubstantiated.
Daily Tribune file photo and Agence france-presse
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Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has accused International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators of “threatening and forcing” retired Philippine National Police (PNP) officers to sign affidavits that would implicate him and former President Rodrigo Duterte in the previous administration’s war on drugs.
Over the weekend, Dela Rosa raised concerns about what he called an “ongoing mission” by ICC investigators staying in a hotel in Pasay City. He said he will initiate a Senate inquiry into the matter.
“We will conduct a hearing and those involved — the Filipinos who are traitors to our sovereignty — will be held accountable,” said Dela Rosa when asked about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent remarks on reconciling with the Duterte family.
The senator condemned the intimidation of retired police officers, emphasizing that these men dedicated their lives to serving the country.
“If he [President Marcos] is really sincere in what he says, the very first thing he should do is expel those ICC investigators currently staying at a hotel in Pasay, who are threatening retired police officers and forcing them to sign affidavits that would implicate President Duterte,” Dela Rosa said.
He said this contradicted the Marcos administration’s claim that it does not recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction.
“There is no sincerity in that. The very first thing President Marcos should do is deport these ICC investigators who are here now, threatening our police officers to testify. That’s what he should do if he is sincere about the reconciliation he seeks,” Dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa, the first PNP chief under the Duterte administration, is believed to be a co-accused alongside Duterte at the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the administration’s anti-drug campaign. Duterte is currently detained at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro pushed back on Dela Rosa’s allegations in a radio interview on Saturday, calling on the senator to present proof of his claims.
“It’s so easy to make up a story. So if he has a story claiming police officers are being forced, then he should have them issue a document or affidavit stating that ICC investigators are indeed pressuring them to testify,” Castro said.
She questioned the coercion Dela Rosa described.
“What kind of pressure is Senator Bato talking about? Was there a threat involved? These are uniformed personnel. Can they really be intimidated that easily?” she said.
Castro was skeptical that someone who doesn’t know anything about a subject can be forced to testify but acknowledged that it is possible.
She recalled similar cases during the previous administration where former Bureau of Corrections official Rafael Ragos and self-confessed drug lord Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa were allegedly coerced into testifying against former Senator Leila de Lima.
“They were forced to testify. They were pressured to fabricate stories against former Senator Leila de Lima,” she said.
During a House investigation last year, Espinosa testified that Dela Rosa had pressured him to implicate De Lima and businessman Peter Lim in the illegal drug trade.
“So maybe that’s what they did. It takes one to know one,” Castro said.
She also recalled former Iloilo Mayor Jed Mabilog who reportedly faced similar pressure and intimidation from the previous administration.
“It seems this is also what former Iloilo Mayor Mabilog complained about — that he was pressured to do something against his will, which led him to leave the Philippines due to threats and demands that he sign documents and testify against opponents of the former president,” Castro said.
“So maybe they know how to threaten and intimidate a witness into being helpless and becoming a false witness against someone,” she added.
