Deport ICC investigators if already here – Bato

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa yesterday called for the deportation of International Criminal Court investigators, if proven that they are already in the Philippins, as he accused the ICC of breaching the country’s sovereignty.

He said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) should deport the ICC probers if they are already here and conducting an investigation against him and former president Rodrigo Duterte for the thousands of alleged state-sponsored killings of suspects related to the previous administration’s war on drugs.

“If confirmed that they are here and have entered the country without authority from the government, then I will ask the Department of Justice – you do the right thing. That is an encroachment of our sovereignty if they are unauthorized to conduct an investigation here. They should be declared undesirable aliens and deported back to their country,” Dela Rosa said in a virtual press briefing.

He was asked for his reaction about former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s claim of having information on the entry of ICC investigators despite the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute that created the ICC.

But Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he has no information about the ICC investigators’ presence. He said these probers have the duty to inform the Philippine government.

Dela Rosa said he is banking on President Marcos’ word that the government would not allow the entry of ICC probers to look into the alleged extrajudicial killings when the senator was still the Philippine National Police chief.

“What he (Marcos) told me was solid as a rock, and I will hold on to that. But if it is the government that authorized the entry of ICC investigators, then the impression is the government is reneging on its word,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino.

“But I don’t need to burn bridges with this government as of yet. The country will suffer if we are divided,” he added.

Last November, Marcos said the possibility of the Philippines rejoining the ICC is “under study.”

The senator has promised not to flee prosecution before the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity, though he said he would only face charges in Philippine courts and not in a foreign tribunal.

Meanwhile, BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval said the agency has not received information on whether ICC prosecutors are in the country.

She admitted that the BI is not given an advance list from the ICC of its prosecutors coming to the country.

However, she hinted it was possible that “we would probably receive official communication about them if they are here for official purposes.” –  Evelyn Macairan