CONFUSION erupted in the Philippines on Saturday after the nation’s ombudsman claimed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, the former police chief who oversaw ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.
Reuters cited on Sunday Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told Reuters via text message that the information about the alleged warrant was relayed to him by the officer-in-charge of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
However, the ICC swiftly denied the assertion. Spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah said: “No. ICC news can only be found on ICC official communications channels and press releases.”
The Department of Justice in Manila said it was still verifying the claim. “We have not yet received a copy of said arrest warrant. We shall provide further details as soon as it becomes available,” DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said in a text message.
Dela Rosa, who has long defended Duterte’s drug war, has not publicly commented on the reports. He and Duterte, who was arrested in March and taken to The Hague over alleged crimes against humanity linked to extrajudicial killings, have both petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to cease cooperation with the ICC.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s office had yet to independently verify the existence of the warrant.
A document outlining the charges prosecutors seek to bring against Duterte also referenced Dela Rosa, including several of his public statements as police chief during the campaign.
In April, Dela Rosa confirmed receiving communication from the ICC “regarding the extra-judicial killings of suspected drug dependents and other personalities, which constitute crimes against humanity.”
Duterte and his legal team maintain that his arrest was unlawful and have appealed the ICC’s decision to continue pursuing its case, seeking his release from detention.
Ombudsman Remulla said that if confirmed, any extradition process involving Dela Rosa would follow rules recently approved by the Philippine Supreme Court. - November 9, 2025
