Human rights group Karapatan on Monday renewed its call for the arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa over his role in the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, stressing the former police chief could no longer evade accountability.
“It is only a matter of time before justice catches up with Bato. His days of impunity are numbered,” the group said in a statement.
Karapatan pointed out that Dela Rosa’s recent long absence from the Senate fueled speculation he was attempting to avoid possible legal consequences amid the International Criminal Court’s probe into the Duterte-era drug war.
“Dela Rosa’s prolonged absence from the Senate only strengthened the public perception that he was attempting to evade accountability and justice,” the group said.
On Monday, Dela Rosa appeared at the Senate to take part in the ouster of Senate President Vicente Sotto and the installation of Senator Allan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate head.
The group noted that Dela Rosa, who was chief of the Philippine National Police at the height of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug war, had previously challenged the ICC to arrest him but had since gone into hiding.
Karapatan insisted that no official accused of serious human rights violations should be allowed to use a government position or political alliance as a shield against prosecution.
It also broadened its call for accountability to include other former and current police officials linked not only to the anti-drug campaign but also to alleged abuses tied to counterinsurgency operations and what it described as “draconian policies” under the Duterte administration.