A progressive representative and a human rights group condemned Senate Pres. Francis Escudero for his statement that he would open the Senate to prevent the arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa should the International Criminal Court (ICC) order his arrest.

“Escudero’s defense of dela Rosa will delay or may even stop dela Rosa’s transfer to the jurisdiction of the ICC,” Karapatan deputy secretary general Maria Sol Taule said. This can be considered a form of obstruction of justice, she added.

Dela Rosa’s name is among the redacted names of “co-perpetrators” of Rodrigo Duterte in his fake war on drugs. As a turn-around to his past bravado, dela Rosa begged Escudero for sanctuary in the Senate once he is served a warrant. Escudero agreed to this, reasoning that sheltering dela Rosa is an “institutional courtesy” where the Senate in session disallows arrest of a senator. The Senate is currently on “recess” or temporary break.

“Institutional courtesy is being used to hinder opening the budget of the OVP (Office of the Vice President) and the President, and now it will be used again to hide a senator just because he’s paranoid?” mocked Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel. He said it appears that the Senate “can long be closed to impede an impeachment trial but can be opened to shelter a butcher?”

Dela Rosa’s cowering in the Senate, even when it’s not in session, is an admission of guilt,” Manuel said. He also said dela Rosa’s use of air conditioning is a waste of public funds.

“Escudero must not invoke Senate tradition to justify the coddling of a notorious human rights violator like Bato dela Rosa,” Taule said. “Delaying or preventing his delivery to the ICC is an added injustice for the victims of extrajudicial killings under Duterte who have already waited for so many years to get this chance at exacting accountability.”