Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa clapped back against Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, who earlier questioned the senator's remark that he would consider hiding instead of surrendering to the International Criminal Court (ICC) should a warrant of arrest gets issued against him.

In an interview on DWIZ on Saturday, March 22, the reelectionist senator asked Castro if the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte actually made the country better.

"Hindi nakabubuti yung gagawin ko. Pero yung ginagawa nila, nakakabuti ba yun sa ating bansa? Yung hinuli nila at dinala si pangulong Duterte doon sa The Hague, nakakabuti ba yun sa ating bansa. Nakakabuti sa kanilang chances politically dahil nabawasan ng isang Duterte na makakalaban nila yun naman talaga ang puno't dulo dyan (What I'm about to do isn't beneficial. But is what they're doing good for our country? When they arrested and brought president Duterte to The Hague, was that good for our nation? It may improve their political chances because it eliminates one Duterte as a competitor, and that's really the crux of the matter)," he said.

"Ms. Castro akala niyo mga santo kayo. Hindi nakakabuti yung gagawin kong pag-evade ng arrest pero sa inyo ikabubuti ng bansa yung ginawa ninyo? Paglapastangan ng ating konstitusyon? Paglapastangan ng ating soberanya? Yung pag-surrender ng isang Pilipino doon sa The Hague? Nakabuti ng Pilipinas yan? (Ms. Castro, you think you're all saints. My act of evading arrest may not be good, but is what you did beneficial for the country? Disrespecting our constitution? Violating our sovereignty? The surrender of a Filipino to The Hague? Is that good for the Philippines?)" he added.

Castro said in a recent press briefing that the administration does not subscribe to such mindset.

She emphasized that leaders should face legal complaints head-on. She added that it was not good for citizens to see that their own leaders did not want to face any case or complaint filed or to be filed against them.

Dela said that if an ICC warrant gets issued against him, he will consider going into hiding. This was in contrast to his earlier pronouncement wherein he said he would submit himself to authorities.

The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief said that he's only willing to face a case here in the Philippines.

He also mentioned that he was "nabudol" or fooled by President Marcos when he actually believed him that the administration will never cooperate with the ICC.

In the same interview on DWIZ, Dela Rosa said that hypothetically speaking, once the arrest warrant gets issued and law enforcers come to arrest him: "Hindi ako magpahuli. Di ako sasama. Di ako magpahuli (I won't let myself be caught. I won't go with them. I won't let them take me)."