MANILA — Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa will not travel to ICC-member countries if a warrant of arrest or summons is issued against him in relation to his role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

The issuance of arrest warrants or summons can now be done after the Philippines’ appeal to halt the investigations was junked by the International Criminal Court’s Appeals Chamber, according to Atty. Ruben Carranza, a senior expert at the New York-based International Center for Transitional Justice.

• Summons loom as ICC probe into drug war continues: expert

“Wala lang dedma lang,” Dela Rosa said on Wednesday when asked about his next steps if a warrant of arrest against him emerges.

But he added, “Hindi ako babiyahe sa mga ICC-member countries kasi posible akong mahuli doon. Puwede akong arestuhin doon. Wala tayong kontrol doon. Dito lang ako sa Pilipinas.”

The ICC has no police powers, Carranza noted, and relies on the cooperation of countries in enforcing arrest warrants or summons.

“Kung bibiyahe man ako sa ibang bansa,” Dela Rosa continued, “I have to make sure that itong mga bansa na ito ay non-members ng ICC or unfriendly countries to the ICC like China, Russia.”

Dela Rosa stressed that he would only follow the lead of the Marcos administration — which has insisted that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines — in terms of cooperating with the investigation.

• ICC junks Philippine gov't appeal, to proceed with drug war probe

No individual has been named to be the specific targets of ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s inquiry although the names of Duterte and Dela Rosa were frequently mentioned.

Dela Rosa was the main implementer of Duterte’s bloody anti-narcotics campaign, which saw over 6,000 people dead based on official figures.

International Criminal Court prosecutors however estimate the death toll at between 12,000 and 30,000.

• 'Deadma lang': Bato 'unbothered' by ICC's insistence to probe drug war

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Dela Rosa, a former police chief, said they launched the war on drugs to protect the Filipino people, especially the youth, from the illegal drug menace.

“I don’t care whatever happens to me… due to the drug war. No problem with me, as long as I did it for the country,” he said.

“Bahala na kayo humusga, kung gusto n’yo ako ibitay, gusto n’yo ako mabitay, then go ahead.”

DUTERTE-XI MEETING

Dela Rosa also addressed speculations surrounding the recent meeting of Duterte with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

He denied that the former Philippine leader wanted to broker a safe-haven deal with Beijing amid the threat of an arrest due to the ICC drug war probe.

“Nagkataon lang talaga na pumunta siya doon,” Dela Rosa claimed. “I’m not sure kung inimbitahan siya, basta nagkataon lang ‘yung biyahe niya.”

Duterte made the visit to Beijing a day before the ICC issued its decision to reject the Philippines’ appeal to stop the investigations into the alleged extra-judicial killings.

• China's Xi meets with ex-president Duterte in Beijing

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian does not see the need for the ICC to conduct an investigation, saying the Philippines’ justice system is working.

If the country allows such an investigation, Gatchalian said it would amount to an admission that the Philippines is a “failed state.”

“Lahat naman tayo sang-ayon na ang gobyerno natin, ang ating sistema ng hustisya ay gumagana. At hindi tayo tinatawag na failed state katulad ng isang bansa na nagkakaroon ng civil war at magulo,” Gatchalian told TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

Gatchalian said the Marcos government could continue domestic investigations into the war on drugs and file cases against personalities in the previous administration.

“Hindi na naimpluwensyahan ng dating administrasyon ang kasalukuyang administrasyon. So ito ay isang form ng check and balance. So ang ibig sabihin ang kasalukuyang administrasyon, pwede niyang ipagpatuloy ‘yung imbestigasyon, pwede rin siyang mag-file ng mga kaso laban sa mga gumawa nito noong unang administrasyon,” he said.

—with a report from Agence France-Presse

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