On November 9, 2025, the Philippines found itself at the center of a swirling international controversy after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla declared on a popular radio program that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, a key architect of the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs and former chief of the Philippine National Police, has long been a lightning rod in the country’s ongoing debate over accountability for thousands of drug-related deaths between 2016 and 2019. Yet, as the weekend unfolded, Remulla’s dramatic statement was met with a chorus of denials, uncertainty, and calls for caution from government officials, legal experts, and human rights advocates alike.
Remulla’s claim—"I have it on good authority that the ICC has issued a warrant against Sen. Bato Dela Rosa"—set off a media firestorm. But almost immediately, questions arose about the veracity of his information. According to Reuters and UNN, the ICC flatly denied the existence of any such warrant. ICC spokesman Fadi El Abdallah told reporters, "No. News about the ICC can only be found on the ICC's official communication channels and press releases." The court’s public docket and press office had not released any new filings or announcements related to additional charges or warrants in the Philippine situation as of November 9, 2025, a fact echoed by Manila Times and Inquirer.
Malacañang Palace and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also confirmed that there was no official confirmation of an ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa. Claire Castro, the Palace Press Officer, stated in a text message, "No confirmation," emphasizing that the Marcos administration was preoccupied with disaster response efforts as Typhoon Uwan threatened the region. The Department of Justice (DOJ) was similarly cautious, with spokesman Polo Martinez saying, "As of this hour, we are currently working to verify this information. We have also not yet seen or received a copy of said arrest warrant. We shall provide further details as soon as it becomes available."
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin attempted to thread the needle between Remulla’s claim and the official denials. He clarified that while the ICC "might have issued [the arrest warrant]," it had not yet transmitted any such document through the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for enforcement. Bersamin pointed out that new Supreme Court rules on extradition, effective November 10, 2025, require prior court proceedings before any extradition can take place. "The Supreme Court recently approved new rules on extradition requiring a prior resort to a court before the person subject to extradition may be brought out of the country," Bersamin explained. This means that, even if a warrant exists, the process of surrendering dela Rosa to the ICC would be far from straightforward.
The legal complexity is compounded by the Philippines’ withdrawal from the ICC in 2019, a move that has left the country in a jurisdictional limbo. While the ICC maintains it retains jurisdiction over crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member of the Rome Statute, the Philippine government has repeatedly argued otherwise. Dela Rosa, for his part, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, insisting that police operations during the drug war were lawful and justified.
In the absence of official confirmation, dela Rosa’s camp urged restraint. His lawyer, Israelito Torreon, released a statement on November 9, 2025: "At this point, we do not have independent confirmation of whether 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 added that if the reports were confirmed, "the Philippine government will act in accordance with the rule of law, and that any such action shall pass through the proper local judicial confirmation process consistent with our Constitution, due process, and the sovereign rights of the Republic of the Philippines."
Meanwhile, the political establishment quickly drew lines. Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III reiterated that no senator could be arrested within the Senate compound, citing "institutional dignity and courtesy." "We cannot allow any senator to be arrested within the Senate premises," Sotto said, but clarified that outside the Senate, "that’s no longer our concern." Human rights group Karapatan, however, had a sharp retort. Secretary General Cristina Palabay warned that the Senate would be "complicit in harboring a criminal" if it shielded dela Rosa from arrest: "He must face justice—alongside Duterte and all officials who ordered, enabled, and covered up these atrocities."
The ICC’s investigation into the Philippines has been ongoing since 2018, focusing on alleged crimes against humanity committed during the anti-drug campaign. The prosecution’s filings have repeatedly cited dela Rosa as a "longtime ally" of Duterte and the developer of "Tokhang," the controversial campaign instructing police to knock on the doors of suspected drug users and pushers, often resulting in deadly encounters. The ICC Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) refused to comment on ongoing investigations, stating, "[Confidentiality] is essential to protect the integrity of investigations and to ensure the safety and security of victims, witnesses, and all those with whom the office interacts."
Kristina Conti, a lawyer representing drug war victims, insisted that an arrest warrant against dela Rosa was "certain from what victims know and what the prosecution has presented." She argued that it was up to the Marcos administration to enforce any such warrant and surrender dela Rosa to the ICC. Conti also emphasized that should the Pre-Trial Chamber issue a warrant, it would likely request "arrest and surrender, and not extradition," in line with the Rome Statute’s provisions for cooperation between the ICC and member or non-member states.
For now, the practicalities of any arrest remain murky. The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime—key agencies responsible for coordinating with Interpol—confirmed they had not received any "red notice" or actionable document regarding dela Rosa. Dela Rosa himself was last seen distributing aid in Cebu on November 6 and 7 following Typhoon Tino (Kalmaegi), and has yet to comment directly on the swirling rumors.
As the dust settles, the episode underscores the profound legal and political complexities facing the Philippines as it grapples with the legacy of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. With former President Duterte himself detained in The Hague since March 2025 on charges of crimes against humanity, the fate of his top lieutenants—and the country’s willingness to reckon with its recent past—remains uncertain. For now, the only certainty is uncertainty: the world watches, the ICC investigates, and the Philippines debates what justice, accountability, and sovereignty truly mean in the twenty-first century.
