MANILA — Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed Wednesday that the copy of the supposed International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, reportedly obtained by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, did not come directly from the ICC but from a “third source.”
“We only spoke on the phone. He told me he got the electronic copy from a third source. So, it did not come from the ICC,” Remulla said in an interview with the media.
He added that while the document appeared authentic, it could not yet be acted upon without official verification.
“In form and in function, it looks official. But as far as we’re concerned, if you’re part of the security apparatus, you need an actionable document. The official copy should be received first,” said Remulla, who is the Ombudsman’s brother.
The DILG chief declined to comment on how the Philippine National Police (PNP) might implement a possible ICC warrant against Dela Rosa, saying authorities would wait for an official copy of the order.
On November 8, Ombudsman Remulla claimed that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa. However, the DILG later clarified that no red notice or official communication from the ICC had been received by the Center for Transnational Crime.
In a statement to Bombo Radyo Philippines, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah reiterated that “ICC news can be found only on ICC official communications channels and press releases.
On Tuesday, Ombudsman Remulla admitted that his copy of the alleged arrest warrant was “unofficial.”
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa’s legal team maintained that they have yet to receive any formal notice from the ICC.
His counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon said they were merely aware of circulating reports.
Government data show that around 6,200 drug suspects were killed in anti-drug operations under the Duterte administration, though human rights groups estimate the real number could be as high as 30,000 due to unreported killings.
Dela Rosa served as Philippine National Police chief during Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, which remains under ICC investigation for alleged crimes against humanity.