Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa welcomed on Tuesday, Aug. 2 President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s decision not to make the Philippines rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), as he acknowledged being the "number 2 accused" in criminal cases filed before international probers.
"I must admit it, being the number two accused, I am happy," Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.
If other countries, such as the United States (US), Russia, China, and Israel also refused to join ICC, then Dela Rosa said he does not "see any compelling reason why we are going to rejoin and allow them to meddle with our internal affairs".
The lawmaker said these are "tantamount to surrendering to them our sovereignty as a nation".
Dela Rosa is among those charged with crimes against humanity before the ICC, along with his long-time friend former President Rodrigo Duterte.
A former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Dela Rosa led Duterte's bloody war against illegal drugs.