Dela Rosa claims Marcos admin aligns with opposition on Duterte probes

Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa alleged on Friday that officials from the Marcos administration are aligning with members of the Makabayan Bloc and former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to target former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Dela Rosa made this claim during a virtual press conference, noting recent government actions seem coordinated with opposition groups to investigate Duterte-era policies, particularly those related to extrajudicial killings linked to the war on drugs.

He cited examples such as the use of intelligence funds and efforts to gather witness testimonies against Duterte for the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation, naming Trillanes and National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director Ricardo de Leon as key figures in these actions.

Dela Rosa questioned whether President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is behind these actions despite his consistent stance against ICC jurisdiction in the Philippines, but admitted he cannot definitively say if it comes from Marcos himself or those around him.

Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra responded that there has been no change in the government's legal position regarding the ICC's inability to exercise jurisdiction over the Philippine situation following its withdrawal from the Rome Statute.

Dela Rosa expressed hope that the Senate would uphold its independence and not bow down to executive pressure if a warrant of arrest is issued by the ICC against him or Duterte.