The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed the issuance of an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who was identified as a co-perpetrator of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte in crimes against humanity during the implementation of the drug war.
In a video message, ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I unsealed on Monday, May 11, 2026, an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa which was originally issued as "secret" on November 6, 2025.
"Mister Dela Rosa is alleged to have committed a crime against humanity of murder at least between the 3rd of July 2016 and the end of April 2018, during which no less than 32 persons were killed in the Republic of the Philippines," she said.
"The judges assessed the materials submitted by the prosecution and found reasonable grounds to believe that Mister Dela Rosa is allegedly criminally responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator for the crime against humanity of murder," she added.
Maillet said the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I alleged Dela Rosa of being involved in a common plan that lasted from November 1, 2011, until March 16, 2019, to execute alleged criminals, particularly those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale, or production.
The chamber cited Dela Rosa's positions in the national police agency, particularly being the chief of the Davao region police office, the PNP intelligence group, and in the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development. It also noted Dela Rosa's role as the chief of the PNP and the director general of the Bureau of Corrections.
"It is now for the authorities to arrest and surrender the suspect to the ICC," said Maillet.
After around six months of absence from the Senate, Dela Rosa showed up on Monday, May 11, just in time for a coup that ousted Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. A commotion ensued upon Dela Rosa's arrival in the Senate as National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel allegedly prevented him from going inside the hall, which resulted in a staircase chase.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV also appeared in the Senate with a supposed ICC warrant, which nobody was aware of at that time. Amid the confusion, senators agreed to put Dela Rosa under the chamber's protective custody until he is able to exhaust all legal remedies to protect himself and until the institution is able to do the same. The chamber also agreed to hold the NBI agents in contempt and keep them under its custody until the matter is resolved.
Dela Rosa's legal counsel sought the intervention of the Supreme Court (SC) for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against the lawmaker's arrest.
