Bato dela Rosa rejects Senate minority call to surrender to ICC

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Wednesday rejected the call of minority senators for him to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued a warrant of arrest against him.

“Out of 24, lima sila. Ito naman mga families kuno ng victims kuno ng EJK (extrajudicial killings), ilan sila? Siguro kung percentage-wise, bigyan natin kahit na 10% Filipinos ang nagsasabi, sumuko ka sa ICC,” Dela Rosa told GMA News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(Out of 24 senators, there are five of them. And these alleged families of the alleged victims of EJKs, how many are they? Maybe percentage-wise, let’s say 10% of Filipinos are saying, surrender to the ICC.)

“Pero 90% ng Pilipino nagsasabi sa akin, ‘Sir, huwag kang magpapahuli sa mga dayuhan. Filipino tayo, we are a sovereign state. Hindi tayo miyembro ng ICC. Huwag na huwag kang magpapahuli,’” he added.

(But 90% of Filipinos are telling me, ‘Sir, don’t let the foreigners arrest you. We are Filipinos, we are a sovereign state. We are not members of the ICC. Don’t let them arrest you.)

For Dela Rosa, this was just politicking.

“Hindi ako na namomolitika dito but I'm stating a fact. Lahat ng tao na siya sabi sa akin, ‘Sir, huwag kang magpapasiil sa mga dayuhan.’ Dahil alam namin ang background nito, political lang itong lahat bakit nagkagaganoon,” he said.

(I'm not politicking here, but I'm stating a fact. Everyone told me, 'Sir, don't let the foreigners oppress you.' Because we know the background to this, it's all political, why it is like this.)

On Tuesday, five senators from the new Senate minority bloc filed a resolution urging Dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to authorities following the issuance of the ICC arrest warrant.

Senators Francis Pangilinan, Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 395 dated May 12, 2026.

Under the proposed resolution, the senators said the chamber has historically “respected judicial and prosecutorial processes involving its own members and former officials.”

They cited the voluntary surrender and judicial submission of late former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, the legal remedies pursued by former senator and now Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima, and the judicial recourse undertaken by former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

On Wednesday, the National Bureau of Investigation also appealed to dela Rosa to surrender to authorities in view of the warrant of arrest issued by the ICC.

"Siya naman po nanggaling sa law enforcement. To avoid all these things, mas mabuti siguro na sumuko siya sa awtoridad para magawa natin 'yung tamang proseso at hindi na rin nagkakagulo at marami pang nai-involve na mga tao," NBI Director Melvin Matibag said in an interview on Unang Balita.

(He is from law enforcement. To avoid all these things, it would be better if he surrenders to authorities so we can do the right process and there won't be any chaos and not many individuals will be involved.)

Dela Rosa was among the alleged co-perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte in a "common plan" to "neutralize alleged criminals" through "violent crimes including murder". He was former chief of the Davao City Police Office and former chief of the Philippine National Police.

Duterte remains detained in The Hague while awaiting trial for alleged crimes against humanity committed during his term as president and mayor of Davao City in connection with the reported extrajudicial killings in his administration's war on drugs.

Change of mind

Dela Rosa said he already changed his mind about his earlier wish to join Duterte in ICC detention in The Hague as there was no assurance detainees would stay in the same cell.

"So it defeats the purpose of being there with him in the same vicinity kung hindi mo siya malalapitan, hindi mo siya mako-communicate," he said.

(So it defeats the purpose of being there with him in the same vicinity if you can't approach him, you can't communicate with him.)

After six months of absence in the Senate, Dela Rosa said he resurfaced partly due to the change in Senate leadership and the impending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Dela Rosa is currently under Senate protective custody amid the ICC arrest warrant, a move criticized by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and some legal experts.

Defending the arrangement, Dela Rosa argued that the Senate has the duty to protect its members while they are in session.

He also pointed out that his case is different from ex-senators who had been arrested in the Senate because his arrest warrant came from a “foreign court.”

Dela Rosa said if his appeal to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. not to allow his transfer to the ICC in the Hague, Netherlands, the senator said he would ask for support from members of the military and police.

"After ako nagserbisyo nang tapat dito sa ating bansa for how many years, simula pa noong kadete ako sa PMA hanggang naging chief PNP ako, 'yung buong puso ko ay dinedicate ko sa aking serbisyo. Then pagkatapos ito, ganito mangyayari sa akin, very discouraging," he said.

(After serving faithfully in our country for so many years, from when I was a cadet in the PMA until I became Chief of the PNP, I dedicated my whole heart to my service. Then after this, this is what happens to me, very discouraging.)

"But still, I will not surrender," he added.—KG/AOL, GMA News