THE SANGGUNIANG Bayan of Santa Cruz unanimously approved a resolution expressing formal solidarity and support for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a native son of the municipality, amid ongoing legal proceedings.
The municipal resolution was approved and signed by Santa Cruz Mayor Jose Nelson Sala Sr.
The local council’s move comes in response to intensifying public discussions and reported legal maneuvers before the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning Dela Rosa’s role as the chief architect of the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
The resolution specifically acknowledged that urgent legal remedies and petitions have been elevated to the Philippine Supreme Court to determine the constitutional implications of any ICC warrant of arrest.
In adopting the measure, the Sangguniang Bayan invoked the 1987 Philippine Constitution as the supreme protector of every citizen’s liberty.
The council emphasized that no Filipino should be deprived of due process and asserted that all enforcement actions must remain firmly anchored within domestic judicial procedures.
The council noted that before the national headlines and international controversies, the senator was simply a local boy raised in modest circumstances in Barangay Bato.
Local lawmakers stated that Dela Rosa’s rise from a humble provincial background to chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), and eventually to the Senate, continues to resonate as a story of perseverance for ordinary families in the town.
“The municipality stands in solidarity with one of its own during a time of profound national significance,” the resolution read.
Official copies of the resolution will be sent to the Office of the President, the Senate of the Philippines, the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government for their information and appropriate action.
