THE HAGUE — Vice President Sara Duterte said she will support Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as a friend should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against him.
Following her visit to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, Sara told GMA Integrated News she respects whatever decision dela Rosa makes regarding his situation.
“Whatever makes him comfortable and happy with his decisions, I’ll support him as a friend. I’m not his lawyer or part of his advisory group,” she clarified.
On Saturday, dela Rosa said in a radio interview that he would not voluntarily surrender and had no plans of leaving the country.
“If it’s just hypothetical? I won’t let them arrest me. I won’t go with them,” he stated. “Why would I leave? My comfort zone is the Philippines. I was born here, and I will die here.”
Dela Rosa served as Philippine National Police chief when Duterte launched his controversial anti-drug campaign in 2016. While the ICC warrant against Duterte lists nine unnamed co-perpetrators, dela Rosa’s name was specifically mentioned.
Malacañang’s Press Officer, Undersecretary Claire Castro, criticized dela Rosa’s defiant remarks in a press conference on Thursday, calling out his apparent refusal to cooperate with international legal proceedings.