By Junex Doronio

APPARENTLY EXPECTING THE WORST scenario, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Thursday said he is willing to face the International Criminal Court (ICC) which will investigate the Rodrigo Roa Duterte administration’s bloody drug war that human rights groups claimed to have victimized 30,000 people, including innocent civilians.

At first, Dela Rosa hesitated why he would need to cooperate with the ICC probe when the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in July refused to comply with the ICC request entry to the country for an investigation.

“Kapag nandiyan ‘yan, wala tayong magawa kundi harapin. Harapin ‘yan. I am very confident naman na malulusutan ko ‘yan, kung kasama ako,” the retired cop-turned-lawmaker said in an interview with TeleRadyo Serbisyo.

In July, Dela Rosa said that he will avoid going to countries that are member-states of the ICC.

He added that the Philippine government cannot issue an arrest warrant against him since the Philippines does not recognize the ICC.

To recall, before Dela Rosa became Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, he served as Davao City police chief when FPRRD was mayor.

The shadowy Davao Death Squad (DDS) flourished under Duterte and was accused of implementing kill orders from higher-ups that allegedly included the feisty Davao City mayor.

Former DDS member Arturo Lascañas had implicated Dela Rosa as among the alleged “enablers” of Duterte.

(AI/MNM)