MANILA, Philippines — Due process for Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa does not mean shielding him from facing trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC), Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said Tuesday, stressing that the senator should be allowed to answer the charges against him without risking violence during his arrest.
Lacson said his call for due process for his embattled colleague was not an appeal to protect him from the ICC’s jurisdiction, but to ensure that authorities carry out his arrest without bloodshed.
“To me, due process means allowing Senator dela Rosa to face trial before the ICC rather than risk violence and, worse, tragedy,” Lacson said.
He reiterated that due process is a fundamental right that applies to everyone, including dela Rosa, who served under him in the Philippine National Police and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
Dela Rosa is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the ICC in connection with killings linked to the war on drugs implemented under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The senator has been in hiding since last year. He briefly surfaced at the Senate last May 11 to vote for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate president then fled following a shooting incident.
