MANILA, Philippines—Senator Ronald dela Rosa on Wednesday rejected calls from several lawmakers for him to surrender.
The senator took refuge at the Senate following confirmation that the International Criminal Court has issued a warrant for his arrest.
Senators Francis Pangilinan, Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo Lacson, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino on Tuesday filed a resolution urging Dela Rosa to submit himself to proper authorities and avail himself of legal remedies under the Constitution and existing laws.
“They’re too much. We worked for so many years and now they want me to surrender,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino.
He said that surrender would only be considered after he had exhausted all legal options available to him.
As former chief of the Philippine National Police, Dela Rosa was identified by ICC investigators as a co-perpetrator in the anti-drug operations that killed thousands during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.
