Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro hit back at Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, saying he should have gone immediately to The Hague if he truly believed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was incompetent.

Castro said this after Dela Rosa criticized the arrest and surrender of former president Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC last week, saying the order did not come from a "competent authority".

In a presser on Monday, March 17, the Palace official said it was normal for Dela Rosa to act this way out of possible fear that he might be arrested next.

"Hindi ba competent authority ang ICC sa paningin ni Senator Bato? Sabi ko nga po 'yan ay normal na manggagaling kay Senator Bato dahil isa siya sa maaaring makonsider na co-perpetrator (Is ICC not a competent authority in the eyes of Senator Dela Rosa? We once said that this is normal to come from him as he could be considered a co-perpetrator)," she said.

"May takot (Is there fear) on his part? Maybe. I cannot answer for him," she added.

If Dela Rosa, who claimed to have information about an ICC arrest warrant against him, does not consider the ICC a competent authority, Castro said he would have joined Duterte in Hong Kong and flown to the Netherlands following the former president's arrest.

"Kung talagang alam niya na walang (If he is confident that there is no) warrant of arrest issued by a competent authority, matapang po siyang sinamahan ang dating pangulong Duterte (he should have bravely accompanied the former president)," she said.

"And as a matter of fact, dapat nga nauna pa siya kay Senator Robin pumunta sa Netherlands (he should've been in the Netherlands first instead of Senator Robin Padilla)," she added.

'Bring Home Roque'

Meanwhile, Castro challenged Roque, who said he would immediately file a formal application to seek asylum in the Netherlands, to return to the Philippines after he was seen for the first time in months at the ICC in The Hague last week.

"Mas maganda po siguro na i-challenge po talaga natin siya na siya po yung umuwi (It would be better if we challenge him to come home)," she said.

"Kasi 'di ba 'Bring home FP Duterte'? So siguro mas magandang isigaw po rin ng mga tao, 'Bring home Roque!' (Because they are saying 'Bring home PRRD.' It would be better if the people shout, 'Bring Home Roque!')," she added.

Roque announced in a Facebook Live video on Monday that he will cite political persecution through unjust prosecution in his application.

Roque had left the country following a contempt order from the House of Representatives over his alleged involvement in the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry.

He has appealed to the public to march to EDSA, the site of the two historic People Power Revolutions, to show support for former president Duterte. This statement was ridiculed by Filipinos online, saying he should return to the country and lead the demonstration.