Philippine Court Clears Path for ICC Action Against Drug War Figure

MANILA — The Philippine Supreme Court has refused to block the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a former national police chief wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity linked to the deadly drug war under ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a 9-5-1 vote Wednesday, the high court denied the senator’s request for a temporary restraining order and status quo ante order that would have prevented the government from enforcing the ICC arrest warrant.

The interim ruling clears the way for authorities to detain Dela Rosa, who has been in hiding since a chaotic night of gunfire inside the Senate complex last week. Government agents attempted to serve the warrant on May 11 — the same day the ICC unsealed the arrest order issued in November 2025 — but the pro-Duterte senate leadership gave him sanctuary. Dela Rosa later slipped away and remains at large.

“For now, we can say that the warrant of arrest is valid against Senator Bato Dela Rosa,” President Ferdinand Marcos’s spokeswoman told reporters.

The Office of the Solicitor General has labeled Dela Rosa a “fugitive from justice,” noting he cannot seek legal protection while evading accountability. Dela Rosa argued the ICC lost jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019, but the government maintains that domestic law (Republic Act 9851) allows cooperation with international tribunals.

Duterte was arrested last year and is awaiting trial in The Hague.

The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the main legal issues raised by Dela Rosa’s petition. A full resolution is expected by May 25.

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