Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator sought by ICC

The Philippine justice secretary ordered law enforcement on Thursday to apprehend Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a fugitive wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of crimes against humanity, a day after the Supreme Court rejected his bid to block arrest.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said dela Rosa, the former national police chief who spearheaded the deadly “war on drugs” under President Rodrigo Duterte from 2016 to 2022, would be tracked down, and anyone assisting his evasion would “face consequences.”

“Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice. We’re pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved,” Vida told a news conference, without specifying dela Rosa’s location.

Dela Rosa’s lawyers indicated this week that he remains in the Philippines, though Vida did not elaborate on leads authorities have on his whereabouts.

Dela Rosa had emerged from six months in hiding last week, taking refuge at the Senate for several days before slipping away in the early hours of May 14 amid chaos and gunfire, after claiming his arrest was imminent.

As Duterte’s top enforcer, dela Rosa oversaw a bloody crackdown in which thousands of alleged drug dealers were killed in police operations, with a dramatic spike in drug user murders at the campaign’s peak, which police attributed to turf wars.

The ICC has estimated that between 12,000 and 30,000 people were killed from 2016 to 2019 in Duterte’s “war on drugs.”

Dela Rosa denies incitement or involvement in any illegal killings during that period.

Duterte, also accused of crimes against humanity, has been held in ICC custody in The Hague since March 2025 and maintains his innocence.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez said Thursday that the PNP noted the Department of Justice directive and would perform its mandate under the law, but stopped short of confirming it would arrest dela Rosa.

“The PNP likewise assures the public that all actions undertaken shall remain impartial, professional, and within the bounds of the law, with full respect for the constitutional rights of all parties concerned,” Nartatez said in a statement.