Presidential Communications Office chief Claire Castro on Saturday challenged Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to provide concrete evidence supporting his claim that International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators allegedly harassed retired police officers in Pasay City to sign affidavits implicating him and former President Rodrigo Duterte in the drug war.
In a radio interview with Radyo Pilipinas, Castro dismissed the senator’s accusations as speculative and unsubstantiated. She urged dela Rosa to submit affidavits if police officers were indeed coerced by ICC investigators.
Castro questioned the likelihood of such coercion, noting that the retired officers involved are seasoned uniformed personnel. She also emphasized that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has no obligation to expel ICC investigators based on unverified claims.
Dela Rosa, former national police chief during Duterte’s campaign, accused the ICC’s presence as contradictory to Marcos’ efforts to reconcile with the Duterte camp and called for the ICC team’s immediate removal. Castro countered that the government welcomes ICC investigators but does not necessarily cooperate with them.
While citing past cases where witnesses alleged coercion, Castro stressed these do not validate dela Rosa’s current claims. She challenged the senator to produce tangible evidence, such as CCTV footage, rather than rely on hearsay.