MANILA - Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa said Monday he will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court's investigation into the Philippine drug war if it resumes.

Dela Rosa, who headed president Rodrigo Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign as his first Philippine National Police chief, said he will only cooperate if he would be tried by Filipino judges.

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"Gusto mo kong ihawin sa sarili kong apoy. I'm the number 2 accused. Ba't ako magpaunder sa jurisdiction nila meron naman tayong Supreme Court dito. Di nila alam ano problema ng ating bansa," he told ANC's Headstart.

(You want to grill me in my own fire. I'm the number 2 accused. Why would I agree to be under the ICC jurisdiction when we have our own Supreme Court here. They don't know the problems of our country.)

"Sila'y nakikinig lang sa bias ng mga kalaban ng Duterte administration. In the first place they've already shown their bias. I'm willing to face the court basta Filipino-skinned ang magta-try sa'kin. 'Di tayo papaalipin sa mga banyaga."

(They only listen to the bias of the enemies of the Duterte administration. In the first place, they've already shown their bias. I'm willing to face court if I will be tried by Filipinos. I won't be under the jurisdiction of foreigners.)

Allowing the ICC to continue its investigation would be an "insult to the Philippine justice system, Dela Rosa said.

"Who are they to judge our working judicial system? Bakit sila nakikialam dito sa ating domestic affairs? It’s perfectly working, wala naman akong nakikitang problems," he said.

(Why are they messing with our domestic affairs? t’s perfectly working, I don't see anything wrong.)

"Gusto nila sila na lang maging Supreme Court dito sa Pilipinas? Maging DOJ (Department of Justice) ng Pilipinas? That's total infringement of our sovereignty."

(They want to be the Supreme Court here in the Philippines, the DOJ of the Philippines?)

Duterte never said he would kill anyone, his former city and national police chief said.

"Meron ba siyang sinabi na patayin niyo lahat yan? Wala naman...Figure of speech yang pinagsasabi niya," he said. "Sabi niya 'I will kill you,' wala naman siya pinatay."

(Did he say anything like 'kill all of them'? No...It's just figure of speech. He said 'I will kill you,' he didn't kill anyone.)

More than 6,000 people have been killed under Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign based on police data but human rights groups claim it could go up to "a high of 30,000."

The ICC Prosecutor's investigation will cover killings under the drug war since Duterte assumed office in July 2016 until the Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute on March 16, 2019.

It would also look into the killings in Davao City from Nov. 1, 2011 to June 30, 2016, when Duterte served as mayor and vice mayor.

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