Members of the minority in the House of Representatives advised Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa not to resist but to go quietly when  a  warrant of arrest is served against him  by  the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s  bloody war on drugs. 

The advice came in response to reports   the ICC warrant was  out, as  claimed by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla. 

Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña said that it was high time Dela Rosa “faced the charges against him” and “stood by his previous statement that he would confront them head on.”

In September, Dela Rosa boldly stated that he was “ready” to be arrested by the ICC, a retreat from his earlier assertions that he may go into hiding in the Senate to evade arrest by the tribunal, which he had long argued had no business meddling in the Philippines. 

Malacañang and the Department of Justice both said they had yet to receive a copy of an arrest warrant, but Remulla reportedly said the information had come from DoJ officer-in-charge Secretary Eric Vida.

Swift arrest urged

Nonetheless, Makabayan bloc lawmakers contended that the warrant must be swiftly enforced, and every attempt to shield Dela Rosa and others responsible for the alleged extrajudicial killings must be rigorously opposed. 

“The brains and the enforcers of the bloody drug war should not go unpunished. Bato dela Rosa and all those involved must be held accountable,” ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio stressed. 

Kabataan Rep. Renee Co warned the Senate and the Supreme Court not to interfere with the looming execution of the warrant. 

“There should be no compromise or special treatment from the Marcos administration for the Duterte camp,” she said.