Former chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno raised the possibility that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could assume responsibility for alleged crimes linked to the drug war as a way of protecting former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently being held by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Speaking in a vlog hosted by Karen Davila, Sereno said, “He can be a witness for, if he is credible at maganda yung paliwanan niya, the president, the former president will be free.” She continued, “If he loves the president so much, he should just accept all the responsibility onto himself.”
Dela Rosa led the Philippine National Police at the height of the anti-drug campaign and oversaw the controversial operations during Duterte’s early years in office. Sereno was removed from the judiciary in 2018 after a quo warranto case voided her appointment, a move widely linked to her criticism of the campaign.
When asked if Dela Rosa would actually admit to being behind alleged abuses, Sereno questioned whether the results of the crackdown justified the approach. “Kasi mukhang hindi, di ba? Hindi naman, hindi nasugpo yung drugs, very temporary yung impact ng takot.”
Official figures acknowledge more than 7,000 deaths of so-called drug personalities in police operations, while rights groups claim the number of extrajudicial killings may have reached 12,000, in addition to alleged killings tied to the Davao Death Squad.
Sereno warned against undermining institutions, saying “flouting the law and destroying all the legal mechanisms is the worst way to show that a leader can take care of the Filipino people.”
Dela Rosa has not appeared in recent Senate sessions following remarks by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that the ICC had issued a warrant for his arrest.
Justice and interior officials said they have no confirmation that such a warrant exists.
Dela Rosa asked the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order against any enforcement of the unverified document, but the request was turned down.
