VICE PRESIDENT Sara Duterte dismissed calls for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to surrender to the International Criminal Court (ICC), maintaining that foreign warrants hold no legal weight in the Philippines.
In an interview in The Hague on May 12, the Vice President described the current political climate as “saddening,” accusing government agencies and the current administration of failing to uphold the country’s sovereignty.
Responding to reports that five senators have asked Dela Rosa to surrender in light of the ICC arrest warrant, Duterte said, “That is not a call anyone should make. A warrant of arrest that is not issued by a Philippine court cannot be implemented on Philippine soil.”
Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III, and senators Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo Lacson, and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino filed Senate Resolution No. 395, asking their colleague to give up.
Dela Rosa is currently under the protection of the Senate.
She characterized the administration’s perceived lack of resistance to foreign intervention as “embarrassing.”
A Call for the ‘Four Ks’
Despite the legal friction, Duterte urged the Filipino community to remain united. She introduced a roadmap for national stability based on “four Ks”:
- Kaayusan (Order)
- Katarungan (Justice)
- Kapayapaan (Peace)
- Kaunlaran (Progress)
“Our country must unite for justice, order, peace, and progress, so we should only have one direction,” she said, calling for a unified front as the nation navigates these complex jurisdictional challenges.
