Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday broke his months-long silence, declaring he was “alive and well” as he turned 64, amid speculation of a possible International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Dela Rosa, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018 and was the lead implementor of Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, issued his first public statement since skipping Senate sessions in November 2025.
“Here I am, alive and well, gratefully celebrating 64 years of this God-given life,” the senator said in a Facebook post.
He insisted he was ready to face accusations, but only before Philippine authorities.
“I am waiting for a true seeking for justice to emerge and take over,” he said. “Not this threat of fake and foreign meddling, from those who do not and can never know us or be us. If indeed there are cases against me, then I wait for a time and a certainty that I shall be able to face these cases as a Filipino, before Filipinos.”
Dela Rosa argued that submitting to foreign courts would undermine sovereignty and dishonor the sacrifices of Filipino heroes.
“Kung papayag lamang ako na ako’y huhulihin at lilitisin ng mga tao at korteng banyaga, tila binalewala ko na rin ang pakikipaglaban ng ating mga bayani at sundalo para sa ating kasarinlan. This is patriotism,” he said.
He also criticized those urging cooperation with the ICC.
“Ask yourself: why are you excited to surrender your fellow Filipino to foreigners? Where is your moral fiber? Why are you the first to applaud the collapse of our sovereignty?” he said.
Thanking supporters for their prayers, Dela Rosa said they made him “even braver.”
“On my 64th birthday, I make this wish, if I may be permitted: that the Philippines will once more be restored to true nationhood,” he said. “One that demands that justice be served right here, on our shores, in our courts. Justice that requires us to stand tall and proud as Filipinos. Nothing more, nothing less.”