The wife of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has appealed to the judiciary not to allow her husband to be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, warning against what she described as surrendering another Filipino to foreign jurisdiction.
In a Facebook post on Monday, May 25, Grace Nancy Dela Rosa urged the courts to reject any move that could lead to her husband’s transfer abroad, stressing that Filipinos should be tried within the country.
“Please do not be an accessory to bringing my husband to The Hague. Every Filipino must be tried in his own country,” she said.
She argued that permitting authorities to voluntarily surrender a Filipino to an international court would signal weakness in the country’s justice system.
“Granting those in power permission to voluntarily surrender another Filipino is an admission that you are weak and incapable of handling this case, thus the need for an international court to intervene,” she wrote.
Dela Rosa also appealed for urgency, saying delays in legal proceedings could work against the senator.
“We do not have the luxury of time to wait for technical arguments and debates. Every moment you remain undecided is an opportunity for them to close in on Bato,” she said.
She compared the situation to former president Rodrigo Duterte, urging lessons be learned from what she called the “Duterte case.” She also defended the Duterte administration’s efforts to assist Filipinos facing legal troubles abroad.
“During PRRD’s time, he went to great lengths to bring every Filipino home, even the convicted ones. Now, they are going to great lengths to surrender another group of Filipinos,” she added.
Dela Rosa ended her post by urging the judiciary to uphold the country’s sovereignty.
“Please do not give up your responsibility for our countrymen. Please fight for our sovereign rights. Your decision will be remembered in history. Please make it count,” she said.
Senator dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police chief during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, is facing an arrest warrant from the ICC linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. (Dhel Nazario)
