Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Tuesday said he is willing to offer legal advice to fellow former police chief Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa if the International Criminal Court (ICC) issues a warrant of arrest against him over the previous administration’s controversial war on drugs.

Lacson’s remarks came after Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed over the weekend that the ICC had already issued a warrant for dela Rosa’s arrest — a claim that neither the ICC nor the Department of Justice (DOJ) has confirmed.

“I hope we can talk just to give him some legal advice, not to hide but to know how to go about facing criminal charges,” Lacson told reporters in an ambush interview.

“I think he already knows how to handle it since he also came from the PNP. But I want to share my own experiences within the bounds of the law and the rules of the International Criminal Court,” he added.

Both Lacson and dela Rosa once led the Philippine National Police (PNP) before entering politics. Dela Rosa headed the PNP during the height of then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which the ICC has been investigating for alleged crimes against humanity.

Lacson himself faced legal troubles in the past. In 2010, he left the country two days before being charged with double murder for the 2000 killings of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito. He later said he fled due to fears of political persecution under the Arroyo administration. Lacson returned in March 2011 after more than a year in hiding, and the charges against him were eventually dismissed.

When asked about the possibility of dela Rosa going into hiding if the ICC warrant materializes, Lacson jokingly replied, “Hindi pa naman siya naka-decide kung magtatago eh. Kung mag-decide siya magtago, edi tuturuan ko siya paano magtago. Joke lang.”

The senator stressed, however, that the situation would be different in dela Rosa’s case, as it involves an international tribunal rather than local courts.

“In my case, it was under local jurisdiction, so the Tuliao vs. Miranda ruling applied. In essence, that ruling says that even if a respondent is not under the court’s jurisdiction, pleadings can still be filed,” Lacson explained.

The ICC has been conducting a probe into the thousands of deaths linked to Duterte’s drug war, which dela Rosa spearheaded as PNP chief from 2016 to 2018. Despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in 2019, the court maintains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member.

As of press time, the ICC has not confirmed the existence of any arrest warrant against Senator dela Rosa.