Dela Rosa ready to join Duterte in detention

SENATOR Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, that he is ready to join former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the Hague Penitentiary Institution or the Scheveningen Prison in The Netherlands.

“If all legal remedies are exhausted and still justice is to no avail, then I don’t want my family to suffer from cops looking for a heartbeat. I am ready to join the old man hoping that they would allow me to take care of him,” Dela Rosa said in a Facebook post.

Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and chief implementer of Duterte’s drug war, was also identified as the primary respondent in the ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the alleged crimes against humanity related to the killing of over 6,000 alleged drug personalities in the country during the former administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

Duterte was arrested Tuesday, March 11 upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 from Hong Kong on the basis of the arrest warrant issued by the ICC on March 7.

Several hours later, before midnight, he was transported to the Netherlands with a layover at the Dubai airport via chartered plane.

He arrived at The Hague at 11:54 p.m. on March 12 (Philippine time) and was brought to The Hague Penitentiary Institution at 2:34 a.m.

Duterte and Dela Rosa, through their lawyers, requested the Supreme Court (SC) to prevent the implementation of the ICC order, but it was denied.

Two more petitions were pending before the SC against the arrest of Duterte.

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, one of the personalities who filed the case against Duterte before the ICC, earlier said the body is also expected to issue an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.

In a phone interview with reporters, Dela Rosa slammed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for allowing the arrest and turnover of Duterte to the ICC.

Marcos, in a press conference, said he allowed the arrest of his predecessor as part of the Philippine government’s commitment to the International Criminal Police Organization Manila (Interpol).

“The arrest that we did today was in compliance with commitment to Interpol, it just so happened that it (arrest warrant) came from ICC. But it’s not because it came from ICC, it’s because it came from the Interpol… Hindi natin kinakausap ang ICC. Marami silang hinihingi sa atin na mga dokumento wala kaming ibinigay. Yun lamang hindi natin mahindian ang Interpol (We are not engaging with the ICC. They are asking for many documents from us, but we have not provided any. It’s just that we can’t refuse the Interpol),” said Marcos.

Dela Rosa tagged Marcos’ statement as a “flimsy alibi.”

“That’s a very flimsy alibi for me. That only goes to show na talagang sila ay interesado na i-commit si [former president] Duterte doon sa ICC. As a President, you can reject outright… ‘At this time, ‘di namin kayo pagbigyan kasi we do not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC sa aming bansa.’ Maintindihan naman ‘yan ng Interpol, pero mas interesado pa sila na i-turnover agad (Interpol will understand that, but they are more interested in having the turnover done immediately),” he said.

“‘Di man lang iprinesent sa local courts natin yung inaresto nila. Dineretso nila agad, byinahe. Masyado silang atat na atat. Then it goes to show na sila talaga ay interesado na mahuli,” he added.

(They didn’t even present the one they arrested in our local courts. They went straight ahead, transported him right away. They were too eager. Then it goes to show that they are really interested in making the arrests.)

The lawmaker said he felt betrayed “to the max” considering what Marcos promised him related to the ICC investigation.

“Very vivid pa sa aking memory when he told me, nung nag-usap kami sa Malacañang, na never siyang mag-cooperate sa ICC. Talagang sinabi niya sa akin, ‘Hinding hindi ako magko-cooperate sa ICC.’ Sinabi niya sa akin noon, ‘Wag kang mag-alala, hinding-hindi ako mag-cooperate sa ICC dahil after ninyo, who’s next? Baka kami na naman.’ Yan ang sabi niya sa akin,” he said.

(It’s still very vivid in my memory when he told me, when we talked at Malacañang, that he would never cooperate with the ICC. He really told me, “I will never cooperate with the ICC.” He told me back then, “Don’t worry, I will never cooperate with the ICC because after you, who’s next? It might be us.” That’s what he said to me.)

Dela Rosa denied that he was in hiding, saying he was campaigning in the “mountains of Surigao and Agusan” in Mindanao. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)