Bato: I won't dignify Trillanes' claims

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa sees no reason to dignify the claims of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has communicated with more than 50 active and former police officials implicated in the previous administration's drug war.

In a phone interview Friday, Dela Rosa noted the Department of Justice's (DOJ) latest warning that state officials and employees who would cooperate with the ICC investigation into the bloody drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte could be held accountable.

"Ako, I don't want to dignify his statements. Wala namang katuturan ‘yan. Merong latest press release ‘yung DOJ... Sinong siga d'yan na government employees, government officials na mag-cooperate sa ICC?" Dela Rosa said.

(I don't want to dignify his statements. Those are just nonsense.   The DOJ has just released a press release...With that, are there any government employees or officials who would like to cooperate with the ICC?)

"I don't know kung saan galing ni Trillanes 'yung kaniyang impormasyon. Mabuti siya, hindi siya government official ngayon. Hindi siya makakasuhan, pero kawawa 'yung mga tao na pinipilit niya na mag-cooperate o meron siyang mga kinakausap na mga tao, magkakaso 'yon," he added.

(I don't know where Trillanes got his information. Good for him he is not an incumbent government official, he will not be charged. But the people he wants to cooperate with the ICC might face charges.) 

As of today, Dela Rosa said no ICC prosecutor has ever contacted him regarding the drug war investigation.

With this, the former national police chief and now senator claimed that it was only Trillanes who are making such claims.

"Hindi tayo kinakausap dahil wala man talaga silang kinakausap, si Trillanes lang naman nagsasabi niyan. Sabi nga, hindi alam ng DOJ, ang DOJ mismo nagde-deny na walang nangyayaring cooperation, walang nangyayaring investigation na ginagawa ang ICC dito... So sinong paniwalaan natin ang DOJ o si Trillanes?" he asked.

(I was not contacted by the ICC. Only Trillanes is making such claims Even the DOJ is denying that there is an ongoing cooperation and investigation here in the country. Who are we going to believe, the DOJ or Trillanes?) 

In response to Dela Rosa's remarks, Trillanes said that Dela Rosa was not contacted by the ICC because he is one of the "main suspects" in the case.

"Hindi nilapitan si Bato kasi main suspect na siya sa kaso. Maliwanag na ang ebidensya laban sa kanya," Trillanes said in a text message shared to reporters.

The former lawmaker also refuted the DOJ's statement, saying that police cooperation with the ICC "in their personal capacity" is not a crime.

"Sila lang as individuals ang mapapahamak kung hindi sila sasagot [sa] pagkakasangkot nila sa kaso sa ICC," Trillanes explained.

He also took a swipe on Dela Rosa's statement that he won't dignify his statements.

"Sabi ni Bato hindi n'ya papatulan ang statement ko pero ang haba naman ng sinabi nya," the former senator quipped.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier this month said his administration will not serve any arrest warrant from the ICC against Duterte, insisting that the international body has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.

In 2019, Duterte pulled the Philippines out of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, after the tribunal began a probe into his administration's drug war.

More than 6,000 people were killed in Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign, but human rights groups say that up to 30,000 may have been killed.—AOL, GMA Integrated News