Bato Dela Rosa to supporters: Hold prayer vigil at Senate

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Wednesday appealed to his supporters to go to the Senate and hold a prayer vigil to block his arrest amid the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant against him over his links to the war on illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa made the call in a Facebook Live video, in which he claimed receiving information that members of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) will go to the upper chamber to take him into custody.

“Meron po tayo natanggap na impormasyon na ng pagkatapos sa ating sesyon nitong araw na ito, meron na po mga operatiba ng NBI at ng CIDG ang pupunta dito para ako ay arestuhin,” said Dela Rosa.

(We received information that after our session today, operatives of the NBI and CIDG will come here to arrest me.)

“Ako po ay nananawagan sa inyo, tulungan niyo ko. Huwag tayong papayag na another Filipino ang dadalhin sa The Hague,” he added.

(I am appealing to you, help me. We should not let another Filipino to be brought to The Hague.)

Dela Rosa served as Philippine National Police (PNP) who enforced ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.

He held the post for 21 months before retiring upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.

According to the ICC arrest warrant, Dela Rosa bore “alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator” in the crime against humanity of murder committed from July 3, 2016 to the end of April 2018, during which at least 32 people were killed.

The senator is currently staying within the Senate premises under the chamber’s protective custody.

He said he would remain there while awaiting the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the petition seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the implementation of the ICC arrest warrant.

“Ang panawagan ko sa inyo pumunta kayo dito, tulungan niyo kami, mag-vigil tayo dito sa harap ng Senado,” Dela Rosa said.

(My appeal to you is come here, help us, let us hold a vigil in front of the Senate.)

“Hindi ako nananawagan ng bayolenteng pag-aaklas, ako ay nananawagan ng isang peaceful prayer rally dito sa tapat ng Senado,” he added.

(I am not calling for a violent uprising, I am calling for a peaceful prayer rally in front of the Senate.)

On May 11, Dela Rosa appeared at the Senate after six months of absence amid reports that the ICC had issued a warrant for his arrest. — JMA, GMA News