The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly issued a warrant of arrest against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in connection with alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
According to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla, the ICC’s move stems from its ongoing investigation into the controversial Oplan Tokhang operations, which were launched under Dela Rosa’s leadership as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.
Dela Rosa was the principal architect and enforcer of the nationwide drug crackdown, which has been criticized by international human rights groups for its alleged extrajudicial killings and lack of due process.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has yet to receive official documentation from the ICC regarding the warrant, and no formal communication has been made public as of this writing.
Senator Dela Rosa’s camp maintains that the Philippines is no longer under the ICC’s jurisdiction, citing the country’s formal withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
However, the ICC asserts that it retains authority to investigate and prosecute crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member, particularly those occurring between 2016 and 2019.
The ICC’s pre-trial chamber previously authorized a full investigation into the Philippine drug war, citing reasonable grounds to believe that crimes against humanity—including murder—were committed.
Human rights watchdogs estimate that thousands of deaths occurred during police operations, many of which remain unresolved or uninvestigated.
Senator Dela Rosa has not yet issued a new statement regarding the reported warrant, though he has consistently defended the drug war as a legitimate law enforcement initiative.
The development marks a significant escalation in international accountability efforts and could have implications for other officials involved in the campaign.