MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Robinhood Padilla on Friday backed Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s refusal to surrender, saying the International Criminal Court (ICC) has no authority over Filipinos.
Padilla issued the statement when he showed up at the Department of Justice (DOJ) where he filed his counter-affidavit in connection with the obstruction of justice complaint lodged against him and several other respondents.
Interviewed by reporters, he described the ICC as a foreign body with no jurisdiction over Filipinos.
"Even if it's the ICC, I wouldn't surrender either. Why would I surrender to them? That is Bato's right," Padilla said. "Surrender to whom, a foreigner? No way. I haven't seen any local arrest warrant; no local court is looking for him. This is a foreign body," the senator said in Filipino.
The complaint against Padilla stemmed from a May 13, 2026 incident at the Senate premises, where National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents attempted to serve an ICC-issued arrest warrant against dela Rosa who has since gone into hiding. The operation resulted in a tense standoff and confrontation between NBI agents and personnel from the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms.
Authorities later accused Padilla and other respondents of helping dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief, evade arrest.
