KARAPATAN criticized the recent statement of Senate President Francis Escudero on providing sanctuary to Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa within the Senate premises should an arrest warrant for him be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dela Rosa, who, as the foremost implementer of Oplan Tokhang, was a key figure in Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. His name is presumed to be among the redacted names of co-perpetrators in the warrant of arrest against Duterte which was issued by ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I. He is expected to be on the next set of warrants to be issued by the chamber of the international court.
“Escudero’s protection of Dela Rosa will delay or may even impede the latter’s transfer to the ICC’s jurisdiction,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay. “It is likely to be considered as a form of obstruction of justice.”
“Escudero must not invoke Senate tradition to justify the coddling of a notorious human rights violator like Bato dela Rosa,” stressed Palabay. “Delaying or preventing his delivery to the ICC is an added injustice for the victims of extrajudicial killings under Duterte who have already waited for so many years to get this chance at exacting accountability.”