The Philippine Supreme Court on May 20 denied Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC) [1, 2].
Dela Rosa faces an ICC arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity related to his role in the country’s war on drugs during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency [1, 3, 2]. The senator has denied involvement in illegal killings under Duterte’s crackdown [1, 2].
Dela Rosa argued that Philippine law enforcement lacks authority to enforce the ICC warrant without a local arrest warrant [1, 2, 3]. The Supreme Court’s rejection of his petition paves the way for his arrest under the ICC warrant [1, 2].
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida ordered authorities to arrest Dela Rosa and said officials have leads on his whereabouts, though he did not elaborate [1, 3, 2]. "Authorities will definitely seek to arrest dela Rosa and execute the ICC warrant," Vida said [1]. He added, "He should be brought to the ICC to face the charges" [3].
Dela Rosa resurfaced publicly after six months in hiding, during which he was sheltered in the Philippine Senate. He fled the Senate on May 14 following a shooting incident between government agents and Senate security [1, 2].
Thousands were killed in Duterte’s drug war, with rights groups accusing police of systematic murders and cover-ups, allegations police deny [1, 3]. Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in 2025 and is currently on trial at the ICC for crimes against humanity [1, 3].
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s spokeswoman Claire Castro confirmed the validity of the ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, stating, "For now, we can say that the warrant of arrest is valid against Senator Bato dela Rosa" [2].
Dela Rosa’s lawyer said they will pursue all legal remedies, including a motion for reconsideration, noting that the court ruling is not a final judgment on ICC enforcement in the Philippines [2].
