Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (Senate PRIB)

Kabataan Party-list criticized Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa for claiming that the ongoing investigation of the International Criminal Court (ICC) into the previous Duterte administration's bloody drug war was just “a grand demolition job”.

“Hindi totoong ‘paninira’ ang motibo ng pag-iimbestiga sa drug war dahil paniningil ito ng hustisya para sa lahat ng pinatay ng madugong programa,” Kabataan First Nominee Renee Co said in a statement on Friday, Oct. 4.

(It is not true that the motive behind the investigation of the drug war is ‘defamation’, rather, it is seeking justice for all those killed by the bloody campaign.)

After filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for reelection as senator on Thursday, Dela Rosa labeled the ICC investigation a political move against former President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies.

“Alam naman natin (We all know) what is behind these investigations, they form part of a grand demolition job against us, the Dutertes, and allies of [the] Dutertes. I’ll leave it up to the people, the people know very well what is the real score,” the senator said.

Co, a lawyer, said Dela Rosa’s statement was particularly appalling given the number of victims during the bloody war on drugs.

“Napakalaking sampal ito sa mga biktima ng giyera kontra droga ni Duterte (This is a huge slap in the face to the victims of Duterte's war on drugs),” she said.

The Kabataan Party-list first nominee cited that for the youth alone, no less than 122 aged from one to seven died as a result of the campaign against illegal drugs.

According to human rights organizations, Duterte's war on drugs may have caused the death of as many as 30,000 Filipinos.

“Lalong hindi totoo na sina Bato at Duterte ang ‘magsasalba sa kinabukasan ng kabataan…Sila ang nagbabanta sa kinabukasan ng kabataan, hindi ang nagsasalba rito. Sila ang nagpapalaganap sa kriminalidad, hindi ang nagwawakas dito,” said Co.

(It is even more erroneous that Bato and Duterte will 'save the future of the youth’... They are the ones threatening the future of the youth, not saving it. They are the ones spreading criminality, not ending it.)