An emotional Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa made a direct appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday, pleading for protection against the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant.
Visibly shaken and admitting he is at the “lowest point” of his life, the former top cop turned legislator requested that any legal proceedings against him remain within the Philippine judicial system rather than in a foreign tribunal.
“Tao lang ako. Hindi ako robot, hindi ako makina. Tao lang ako. My appeal is sincere to the President. I am at the lowest point of my life,” Dela Rosa told reporters.
The senator’s vulnerability marks a sharp departure from his March 2025 stance, where he claimed he was ready to accompany former President Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague.
Now facing the reality of the unsealed warrant—which alleges his role as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in crimes against humanity—Dela Rosa is seeking executive intervention.
“Isa lang [ang hiling ko]. Huwag akong ipadala sa The Hague. Yun lang naman. Kung pwede lang. Kung mayroon akong pananagutan, sasagutin ko dito sa ating local court, wag doon sa banyaga. Yun lang yung appeal ko sa kanya.”
The warrant, issued by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I on November 6, 2025, links Dela Rosa to a “common plan” that allegedly resulted in the murder of at least 32 individuals between 2016 and 2018.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the Senator maintained that his actions were rooted in the principles he learned as a cadet.
“Yung ideals ng PMA, isinasabuhay ko. Yung ‘courage, integrity, and loyalty,’ isinasabuhay ko yan. Lahat yan ginawa ko.”
As the NBI and international bodies circle the case, the decision now rests heavily on the Malacañang administration’s willingness to uphold or defy the international order.