Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday rejected a resolution filed by minority senators urging him to submit to proper authorities and pursue legal remedies in connection with the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant.
In a chance interview at the Senate, dela Rosa said he had yet to read the resolution but appealed to his colleagues not to rush calls for his surrender.
“Hindi ko pa nababasa. Pero kung ang meat niyan ay pag-surrender, maki-usap rin ako sa kanila na huwag masyado kayong atat na atat na makulong ako. Hintayin ninyo. Pagbigyan lang niyo ako sa tsansa na i-avail yung remaining legal remedies na puwede kong i-avail,” dela Rosa said.
The senator said he was saddened that colleagues he had worked with in the Senate for years were now asking him to submit to authorities, which he interpreted as surrendering to the ICC.
“Malungkot. Mga kasama natin yan eh. Matagal kami nagkasama sa Senado. Eh ganon-ganon na lang tayo na parang umalis dito. Hindi ka na, kuwan, hindi ka namin kailangan. Sumurender ka,” he said.
In a separate interview with GMA’s Unang Balita, dela Rosa claimed that those calling for his immediate surrender represent only a small portion of the public compared to those who sympathize with him.
“Out of 23, lima sila,” he said, referring to the five minority senators behind the resolution.
He also said many Filipinos have supposedly urged him not to allow himself to be arrested by foreign authorities, arguing that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC.
“Pero 90 percent ng Pilipino nagsasabi sa akin, ‘Sir, huwag kang magpapahuli sa mga dayuhan. Filipino tayo. Hindi tayo miyembro ng ICC. Huwag kang magpapahuli,’” dela Rosa said.
Dela Rosa also described the move as politically driven.
“Hindi ako namomolitika dito but I’m stating a fact. Lahat ng tao na nagsasabi sa akin, ‘Sir, huwag kang magpapasiil sa mga dayuhan. Dahil alam naming ang background nito, politika lang itong lahat bakit nagkakaganoon,’” he said.
Senate Resolution No. 395 was filed by former Senate president Vicente Sotto III and Senators Francis Pangilinan, Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino.
The resolution expressed the sense of the Senate to urge dela Rosa to surrender to proper authorities and seek legal remedies under the Constitution, applicable laws, and rules.
The minority senators argued that the Constitution does not authorize the Senate to provide sanctuary, immunity from arrest, or protective custody to any senator beyond the limited parliamentary immunity expressly provided by law.
They cited Article VI, Section 11 of the Constitution, which grants senators and House members privilege from arrest only while Congress is in session and only for offenses punishable by not more than six years’ imprisonment.
“Adherence to lawful processes and voluntary submission to judicial authority strengthen democratic institutions, reinforce constitutional accountability, and uphold the principle that no public official is above the law,” the senators said in the resolution.
The resolution was filed after the Senate leadership approved a motion by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta to place dela Rosa under Senate protective custody while he exhausts legal remedies related to the ICC warrant.
The attached report noted that former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Leila de Lima, and Antonio Trillanes IV had previously sought sanctuary in the Senate but later surrendered after warrants of arrest were issued against them.