Philippine senator Ronald dela Rosa stayed inside the Senate complex on Tuesday after government agents pursued him there over an International Criminal Court arrest warrant linked to Rodrigo Duterte's anti-drugs campaign. He was later placed under protective custody inside the chamber, which has 24 members. [1, 2, 3]
Dela Rosa, a key ally of Duterte, said he would remain on the Senate premises and fight any arrest through the courts. He told supporters to "keep vigil in front of the Senate until the Supreme Court decides" and said, "If I have an obligation, I will answer it in the local court, not a foreign one." [1]
The ICC warrant relates to his alleged role as an indirect co-perpetrator or co-perpetrator in the drug war, in which thousands of people were killed. One source said the warrant was unsealed on Monday, while another said the court had issued it confidentially in November and confirmed it on Monday night. [1, 2]
Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said the chamber would only allow an arrest if it was based on a Philippine court warrant. Dela Rosa said, "They want to forcibly bring me to The Hague, to surrender me there," and later added, "We will exhaust all available legal means so we will not be brought to The Hague." [1, 2, 3]
The confrontation came against a backdrop of widening conflict between the Duterte and Marcos camps, after lawmakers voted to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte. Dela Rosa called on supporters on Wednesday to keep watch outside the Senate as he continued to oppose transfer to The Hague. [1, 2, 3]
