Bato says House members asked PNP officials to testify against him, Duterte
By Dhel Nazario
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said that he has "very reliable information" that House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) Director General Ricardo De Leon, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, talked to police officials to implicate him and former President Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"I have a very, very reliable information. An A1 information na yung mga opisyal na yan ay kinausap (A1 information that these officials were convinced)," he said in an interview.
Dela Rosa was referring to some current and former officers of the Philippine National Police (PNP) namely; former police chief Oscar Albayalde, Northern Luzon Police commander Major General Romeo Caramat, former National Police Commission (Napolcom) commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and former PNP Chief Intelligence Officer Eleazar Mata.
He said that Romualdez was present during the "private meeting" but those who actually convinced the officials were De Leon and Trillanes and that they were spoken to separately.
Asked if it was done under Romualdez' directive he replied: "At sinong mag-utos sa kanila? (Who will instruct them to do that)?"
He said that the officials were not convinced to execute an affidavit.
"Hindi sila pumayag (They didn't budge). They stood their ground. Ayaw nila. Dahil alam naman talaga nila na hindi dapat kasi mali at talagang dapat hindi implicate (Because they know that it's wrong and that they really shouldn't implicate us)," he added.
Asked if this move was greenlit by President Marcos, Dela Rosa said that it's hard to make speculations since the actions of those around the President is "very contradicting" to his actual stand on the ICC.
"Personally, I'm not concerned because I know na wala talagang jurisdiction ng ICC sa atin dito (that ICC has no jurisdiction here)," he said.
Dela Rosa has mentioned that he has no intention to communicate with the Palace regarding this and should the ICC reach out to him for an interview, he said that they are welcome to do so anytime.
He has also mentioned that he remains unbothered because he trusts the President.
Back in June, the President said that former senator Leila de Lima's acquittal from all her drug-related charges only showed that the Philippines' justice system works and does not need the intervention of the ICC.