Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday, July 18 said he is adamant that he will not cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on its investigation into the bloody drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte saying that the international body have already shown their bias.

Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief who led the Duterte government’s infamous ‘Oplan Tokang’, said cooperating with the ICC is like “roasting himself in his own fire.”

“Para mo akong sinusugba, parang gusto mo kong ihawin sa sarili kong apoy (You want me to get roasted in my own fire)?” Dela Rosa pointed out in an interview on ANC Headstart.

“I am the number two accused and gusto mo akong papasok na lang sa kanilang kagustuhan (and you want me to just yield to what they want),” Dela Rosa pointed out.

“Bakit ako mag pa under ng jurisdiction sa kanila eh meron naman tayong supreme court dito na pwede mag try sa atin kung meron man akong ginawang kalokohan. Bakit sila pa? Bakit ako haharap sa mga puti na yan na hindi nila alam kung anong problema ng ating bansa at kung ano ang ginagawa ng ating gobyerno. (Why will I put myself under their jurisdiction when we have our own Supreme Court here that can try me if I indeed committed something wrong. Why them? Why will I face Westerners who do not know the problems facing our country and what our government is doing to resolve it),” he added.

“Sila ay nakikinig lang sa mga bias na kalaban ng Duterte admin (They are only listening to their biases who are enemies of the Duterte administration). In the first place they have already shown their bias,” he reiterated.

Dela Rosa made the remark after ICC Prosecutore Karim Khan proposed the reopening of the probe last June 24. On July 14, the ICC asked the government and the drug war victims and their families to comment on the proposal.

The Philippines has until September 8 to submit additional comments and observations.

But Dela Rosa clarified he is not afraid of facing the ICC on the drug war issue, saying he just does not want to be tried by foreigners who have no knowledge of the ongoing illegal drug problem in the country.

“Wala akong kinakatakutan (I don’t fear anything)…I can face any courts kung gusto mo akong kasuhan, dito kasuhan mo ako sa korte ng Pilipinas (if you want to charge me, charge me here in a courts in the Philippines),” he said.

“Alam ko na mga Pilipino ang magta-try sa ‘kin ‘pag ganun. Ikaw ba payag kang i-try ka ng foreigner, ng isang foreign entity (Here, I know that Filipinos will try me. Would you want to be investigated by a foreigner, of a foreign entity),?” the senator stressed.