Reps. urge Dela Rosa to face ICC on EJK allegations

Members of the House of Representatives are advising Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa to explain his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings to the International Criminal Court (ICC) instead of dismissing the accusations.

Reps. Jude Acidre and Jil Bongalon stated that Dela Rosa, as the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief during the height of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, played a central role and cannot distance himself from the thousands of deaths.

The lawmakers criticized Dela Rosa for accusing the House leadership of playing politics and urged him to "face the music" before the ICC.

Acidre highlighted that Dela Rosa was at the helm of the PNP during the most violent phase of the anti-drug operations and that victims' families and the international community deserve answers.

Bongalon questioned Dela Rosa's continued evasion of responsibility, pointing to testimonies during House quad-committee hearings that indicated direct police involvement in extrajudicial killings under his leadership, including orders to shoot on sight.

Both representatives emphasized the mounting evidence of human rights violations and the need for transparency and accountability from public officials.

They suggested that if Dela Rosa truly believes he did nothing wrong, he should not fear explaining his side to the ICC.