The wife of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa appealed to the judiciary on Monday to act on his petition and prevent any move that would lead to his surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a Facebook post, Grace Nancy Dela Rosa said her husband should be tried in the Philippines, arguing that allowing a Filipino to be voluntarily surrendered to an international tribunal would reflect weakness in the country’s own justice system.
She said the judiciary should not become an “accessory” to bringing her husband before the ICC, which has issued a warrant of arrest against him in connection with crimes against humanity allegations tied to the Duterte administration’s bloody anti-drug campaign.
“You are a group of great minds. This is just another case sensationalized only by politics. Please do not waver or give in. Please,” she said.
Grace Nancy also urged the courts to decide on the petition as soon as possible, saying any delay could allow authorities to move closer to arresting the senator.
She said the government should learn from the case of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested and brought to The Hague in March last year based on an ICC warrant.
“If we must learn from the Duterte case, it is that, not to give up another Filipino,” she said.
She added that the government should defend the country’s sovereign rights and avoid surrendering more Filipinos to an international court.
“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.
Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros renewed her call for Dela Rosa to surrender to Philippine authorities while continuing to pursue legal remedies against the ICC warrant.
“Ganon pa rin ang aking panawagan sa kanya para maresolba ng legal at mapayapa ang situwasyong ito,” Hontiveros said.
She said the situation has already caused damage to institutions and the country, adding that it should be resolved through lawful and peaceful means.
Minority senators have filed Resolution 395 urging Dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to proper authorities while exhausting judicial remedies related to the ICC warrant. The resolution was introduced by Senate Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III with Senators Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, and Hontiveros, and has been referred to the Committee on Rules.
In a separate statement, Sen. Robin Padilla defended his deputy chief of staff, retired Col. Jean Robles, after she was linked to Dela Rosa’s departure from the Senate premises in the early hours of May 14.
Padilla said Robles only performed her duties as part of his Senate staff during what he described as a “sensitive and tense” situation at the Senate on May 13, when members of the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms reportedly traded shots with agents of the National Bureau of Investigation.
He maintained that Dela Rosa was free to leave the Senate because the NBI did not present any warrant of arrest against him at the time.
Reports said Robles was seen with Padilla and Dela Rosa at the senators’ parking area as they left the premises. Padilla said Robles merely hitched a ride with him and was dropped off at her condominium to ensure her safety.
“Nakisabay si Col. Robles at inihatid ko siya pauwi bilang pagtiyak na ligtas siyang makakauwi,” Padilla said.
He said it was unfair to drag Robles into the controversy, stressing that she was not part of Duterte’s personal staff and had served as an Army officer from 2002 to 2020 before entering the Department of Foreign Affairs as a Foreign Service Officer.