In a development that has sent ripples through the Philippines’ political and legal circles, conflicting reports have emerged over whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, the former national police chief and a key architect of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs. The controversy comes just months after Duterte himself was arrested and transferred to The Hague in March 2025, facing charges linked to thousands of deaths during his administration’s campaign against illegal narcotics.
On November 8, 2025, Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told multiple news outlets, including DZRH radio and Rappler, that the ICC had issued a warrant for Dela Rosa’s arrest over his suspected involvement in crimes against humanity during Duterte’s tenure. "The ICC has issued a warrant against Senator Dela Rosa," Remulla said, calling it an "extraditable offense." According to Remulla, the information was relayed to him by the officer-in-charge of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and he emphasized that extradition rules approved by the Supreme Court would apply in Dela Rosa’s case.
However, the situation is anything but clear-cut. The ICC itself has publicly denied issuing such a warrant. Fadi El Abdallah, spokesperson for the ICC, told Reuters, “No. ICC news can only be found on ICC official communications channels and press releases.” The Department of Justice, led by acting chief Fredderick Vida, echoed this uncertainty, with spokesperson Polo Martinez stating, “We have not yet received a copy of said arrest warrant. We shall provide further details as soon as it becomes available.” As of November 8, 2025, both the DOJ and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported they had not received any formal communication or Interpol red notice confirming the existence of a warrant for Dela Rosa.
Adding another layer of complexity, ICC assistant counsel for the victims, Kristina Conti, clarified that while victims and their advocates believe a warrant is "certain" based on the prosecution’s evidence and ongoing proceedings, there has been no official confirmation or public release from The Hague. “As before, we cannot confirm something that the Court has not publicly shared and posted,” Conti stated on Facebook. She nonetheless insisted, “We maintain that a warrant against Bato Dela Rosa as Duterte’s co-perpetrator of crimes against humanity is certain from what victims know and what the prosecution has presented.”
Conti also called on the Marcos administration to enforce any potential ICC warrant, citing the Philippines’ continuing obligations under international law, especially after the ICC recently ruled against Duterte’s challenge to its jurisdiction. The Court affirmed its authority to prosecute alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a state party to the Rome Statute, prior to its withdrawal in 2019. “The Marcos administration has to enforce his arrest and surrender to the ICC as part of our continuing obligations to the Court, also following the recent decision on the jurisdiction challenge of Rodrigo Duterte in his case,” Conti emphasized.
The ICC’s investigation into the “situation in the Philippines” remains ongoing, seeking to identify those most responsible for alleged atrocity crimes under Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. The last public update from the ICC indicated that Duterte’s defense team had submitted a second tranche of evidence, signaling that preparations for the resumption of the confirmation of charges hearing are underway—potentially within this month. Dela Rosa, who led the Philippine National Police from July 2016 to October 2018, was a central figure in the campaign, which has been linked to thousands of alleged extrajudicial killings. Human rights groups estimate that nearly 30,000 people may have died in the crackdown, though official government figures are lower.
Senator Dela Rosa’s legal team has responded cautiously to the swirling reports. His counsel, Israelito Torreon, said they were aware of the rumors but urged restraint. “At this point, we do not have independent confirmation as to whether or not this information is accurate. We therefore urge the public and the media to exercise caution and restraint in sharing or interpreting such reports until verified information is officially released by competent authorities or by the ICC itself,” Torreon told Rappler.
Meanwhile, Senate President Tito Sotto has drawn a line in the sand regarding any potential arrest on legislative grounds. “To preserve the dignity of the Senate, and as a matter of institutional courtesy, we cannot allow any senator to be arrested in the Senate premises. Outside the Senate premises, that’s no longer our concern,” Sotto stated, signaling that any attempt to detain Dela Rosa would have to occur off Senate grounds.
The roots of the controversy stretch back to Dela Rosa’s tenure as Davao City police chief under then-mayor Duterte, a period during which the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) allegedly operated with impunity. Whistleblowers and former DDS members, including Arturo Lascañas and Edgar Matobato, have implicated Dela Rosa as an enabler of extrajudicial killings. In 2021, former ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda named Dela Rosa as part of an “apparent” policy to perpetrate such killings. The ICC prosecutor had even requested interviews with Dela Rosa and other officials "under suspicion" as recently as 2024.
The ICC’s handling of arrest warrants adds another twist. As Rappler notes, warrants are typically kept confidential until the suspect is in custody. In Duterte’s case, the warrant only became public after his arrest in March 2025, which was facilitated through Interpol and implemented by Philippine authorities under the principle of international cooperation. DILG chief Juanito Victor Remulla confirmed that, as of November 8, 2025, no red notice had been issued for Dela Rosa.
For his part, Dela Rosa has publicly expressed a willingness to face the ICC. He said he has “no more fears” about dealing with the court’s investigation into the drug war killings and has indicated readiness to cooperate "any time." Yet, the senator and his former principal, Duterte, have petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to stop cooperating with the ICC, reflecting the deep divisions within the country’s leadership over accountability and international justice.
As the legal and political drama unfolds, the fate of Ronald Dela Rosa hangs in the balance. The Philippine government, caught between international obligations and domestic pressures, faces a critical test of its commitment to the rule of law and human rights. Whether or not an ICC warrant has truly been issued, the shadow of Duterte’s drug war continues to loom large over the nation’s institutions and its international standing.
