Sara Duterte: Illness, death are worse fates for Bato than ICC arrest

Vice President Sara Duterte has downplayed the possibility of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa getting arrested through a warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying there are worse fates in life.

Duterte said this in reaction to the statement of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo "Ping" Lacson that the possible worst-case scenario for Dela Rosa is for the latter to be detained in The Hague as a sitting senator.

"Sa tingin ko lang ha, sa lahat ng tao, sa buhay ng isang tao, the worst thing that could happen is magkasakit at mamatay. Kapag wala kang sakit at hindi ka namatay at buhay na buhay ka pa, kahit nasa loob ka man ng kulungan o nasa labas ka ng kulungan, okay na 'yun," the Vice President said in an interview in The Hague on Tuesday, January 27. 

(I think the worst thing that could happen to anyone is to get sick and die. If you are not sick and don't die, and you are still very much alive, even if you are inside the prison or you are outside the prison, that is okay.)

"Kaya 'di ba, 'yung kay sitwasyon ni Senator Bato, wala 'yan. Hindi naman siya nagkasakit eh," she added.

(That's why the situation of Senator Bato is nothing. He isn't even sick.) 

Dela Rosa has not attended any session at the Senate since November 11. 

His absences began after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla alleged that the ICC has issued an arrest warrant against him over the bloody war on drugs during the Duterte administration, where he served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). — VDV, GMA Integrated News