Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has applied for a Schengen visa to join Vice President Sara Duterte in visiting former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained in The Hague, Netherlands.
The visit centers on Duterte, who was arrested by Interpol in March following an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant related to charges of crimes against humanity stemming from the controversial war on drugs.
Dela Rosa, who previously served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief under Duterte and was a key enforcer of the anti-drug campaign, is also under investigation by the ICC.
The senator clarified that he was not present during Duterte’s arrest and emphasized that he is following proper legal procedures by securing permission from relevant authorities for the planned trip.
A Schengen visa permits travel across 29 countries within the Schengen Area, including the Netherlands, where The Hague is located.
This Dela Rosa Schengen visa application highlights the continuing political and legal implications of the ICC’s probe into the Duterte administration’s drug war policies.