Philippines Supreme Court clears path for ICC arrest warrant against Senator dela Rosa

The Philippine Supreme Court has issued an interim ruling refusing to block the arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity. The decision clears the way for Philippine authorities to execute the ICC warrant, although other legal issues raised in the senator’s petition remain unaddressed. Dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, had argued that the foreign warrant lacked legal authority in the Philippines without a corresponding local court order.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s spokeswoman, Claire Castro, confirmed on Wednesday that the arrest warrant against Senator dela Rosa is valid. “For now, we can say that the warrant of arrest is valid against Senator Bato dela Rosa,” Castro told reporters. She added that the government has directed the Department of Justice to interpret the Supreme Court’s interim ruling regarding the enforcement of the ICC warrant.

Senator dela Rosa’s legal team has stated they will exhaust all legal remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration. In a statement, his lawyer argued that the court’s resolution is not a final judgment on the merits, noting it is not a definitive ruling on the legality of enforcing an ICC process within Philippine territory. The court acknowledged that while the restraining order had been denied, other issues in the senator’s petition had yet to be addressed.

Dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding last week and took refuge at the Senate building. He fled in the early hours of Thursday after a shooting incident involving government agents and Senate security personnel sent senators rushing for cover. His current location remains unknown following the incident.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida previously stated that authorities would “definitely” seek to arrest dela Rosa and execute the ICC warrant. Dela Rosa served as the chief of the National Police and was a key enforcer for former President Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016-2022 presidency. The ICC estimates that 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed between 2016 and 2019 during the “war on drugs,” a campaign for which Duterte is also accused of crimes against humanity. Duterte has been held in ICC custody in The Hague since March 2025.