Families of alleged victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) have called on authorities to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa should the International Criminal Court (ICC) officially issue a warrant against him.
The appeal was made by the advocacy group Rise Up for Life and for Rights, which has long campaigned for accountability in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Llore Pasco, who lost two children during anti-drug operations, stated that Dela Rosa “deserves to be jailed alongside Duterte” for his role in the killings.
The group emphasized that Dela Rosa expanded the “Davao Death Squad” model to a national scale when he became chief of the Philippine National Police.
Rubylin Litao, national coordinator of Rise Up, asserted that Dela Rosa was clearly complicit in crimes against humanity.
Jane Lee, whose husband was killed in a tokhang operation, added that they continue to hope for the imprisonment of the mastermind and all those involved.
The group challenged the Marcos administration and the Senate not to shield alleged perpetrators and to ensure justice for the victims.
They reiterated their demand for transparency and cooperation with international legal mechanisms, particularly if the ICC warrant is confirmed.
The ICC has been investigating alleged crimes committed during the height of the anti-drug campaign between 2016 and 2019.
Senator Dela Rosa has previously denied wrongdoing and defended the campaign as a legitimate law enforcement initiative.