Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa (Facebook)

Marcos administration critic Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa should just save his denials and explanations to the International Criminal Court (ICC) as far as his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration is concerned. 

"Young Guns" bloc members House Deputy Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre and House Assistant Majority Leader Ako-Bicol Party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon gave this piece of advice to the senator, who was the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief when then-president Rodrigo Duterte launched his bloody war on drugs in 2016. 

The two lawyer-solons also called out Dela Rosa for accusing the House leadership of playing politics, and said that the senator should just “face the music” before the United Nations (UN)-backed ICC. 

Depending on which Duterte drug war critic you ask, the number of fatalities during the bloodbath an range from 10,000 to over 30,000. 

"He keeps distancing himself from the thousands of deaths during the war on drugs, but he was the PNP chief during that time. He cannot deny that he played a central role in the implementation of the bloody drug war,” Acidre said. 

"The families of the victims and the international community deserves answers for the thousands of deaths under his watch. Kung ayaw niyang magpaliwanag dito sa ating Kongreso, sa ICC na lang magpaliwanag," he added. 

(If he doesn't want to explain here in Congress, then he should explain before ICC instead.) 

Bongalon questioned Dela Rosa's continued evasion of responsibility despite his position as PNP chief during the most violent phase of the anti-drug operations. 

"Sen. Bato cannot just brush aside the ICC’s investigation. He was at the helm of the police force when the most egregious human rights abuses were committed. It is his duty to explain what happened," he stressed. 

The Bicolano further pointed out that during the House quad-comm hearings, several witnesses testified about the PNP’s direct involvement in extrajudicial killings under Dela Rosa's leadership. 

"The quad-committee hearings revealed that police forces were given orders to shoot on sight. How can Sen. Dela Rosa deny his involvement when the bloodiest parts of the war on drugs were carried out under his command?" Bongalon asked. 

The ICC has been conducting a probe into the Duterte administration’s drug war, with international prosecutors zeroing in on allegations of state-sanctioned killings. 

Both lawmakers also criticized Dela Rosa’s refusal to testify in the quad-comm hearings on his involvement in the EJKs. It's high time for Dela Rosa to face these charges, the Young Guns said. 

"We cannot ignore the mounting evidence of human rights violations. If Sen. Bato continues to avoid accountability in our hearings, the ICC will demand that justice be served," Acidre said. 

Bongalon echoed the call, and emphasized the need for transparency and accountability from public officials. 

"If Dela Rosa truly believes he did nothing wrong, then he should not be afraid to explain his side before the ICC. Let the world know what really happened during those bloody years," Bongalon said.