MANILA, Philippines — Has the International Criminal Court (ICC) called Sen. Bato dela Rosa? He would not know, because he has not picked up the phone.
Dela Rosa, former president Rodrigo Duterte’s police chief during his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs, filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Thursday, October 3, seeking another term in the Senate.
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Asked at the COC filing in the Manila Hotel if the ICC has contacted him, Dela Rosa initially said no. But he admitted that they have turned away certain people who have tried contacting him for an interview.
“Wala. Mayroong nag-contact sa opisina ko pero ini-ignore namin dahil alam namin na wala silang jurisdiction sa atin. May nagco-contact sa opisina ko pero iniginore namin. Hindi namin kina-usap, hindi namin pinatulan dahil mamaya mga gagu-gago na mga tao lang 'yan na sumasakay sa issue,” Dela Rosa said.
(None. Someone contacted my office but we ignored it because we know that they do not have jurisdiction over us. Someone has been contacting my office but we ignore it. We do not talk to them. We do not reply because it might be some idiot person who is riding along the issue.)
Dela Rosa said that following former Sen. Antonio Trillanes III’s revelation that the ICC was in the Philippines, some individuals with apparent European names attempted to contact him.
The former police chief is hoping for a second term in the Senate, but things have radically changed since he was elected in 2019.
His longtime ally Duterte is no longer president, and the government has taken bolder steps to probe human rights violations during the previous administration.
The House of Representatives currently has a four-panel committee dedicated to probing human rights violations, illegal drugs and illegal offshore gaming hubs.
The House human rights panel has invited Dela Rosa to attend their hearings, which the former police chief has declined.
Dela Rosa himself has acknowledged that there is a demolition job against him and Duterte’s allies in the government but has not identified who is behind it.
Despite Duterte's mixed reception in government now, Dela Rosa has so far remained in the top 12 of various senatorial surveys.