The International Criminal Court (ICC) has unsealed an arrest warrant for Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa in connection with killings during the country’s anti-drug campaign. The senator remained in his office at the Senate of the Philippines on Tuesday following the announcement.
The Hague-based court stated on May 11 that its Pre-Trial Chamber I found “reasonable grounds to believe” that dela Rosa is criminally responsible for the crime against humanity of murder. The warrant, originally issued under seal on November 6, alleges he acted as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in a plan to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines.
Following the ICC’s announcement, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said dela Rosa was under the protection of the Senate. “We will allow an arrest under the condition that it is a Philippine court,” Cayetano told reporters, according to Inquirer.net.
Former Senator Antonio Trillanes informed the media that personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were present at the Senate building to enforce the ICC warrant.
The warrant relates to dela Rosa’s tenure as chief of the Philippine National Police from July 2016 to April 2018, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. This period marked the height of a government-led anti-drug campaign. Official government figures state that approximately 6,000 people were killed in police operations, while other human rights organizations and reports provide estimates ranging up to 30,000.
In a statement, the ICC alleged dela Rosa was involved in a “common plan that lasted from approximately 1 November 2011 until 16 March 2019.” The time frame includes his service in law enforcement in Davao City while Duterte was its mayor.
The ICC began a preliminary examination into the killings in February 2018 and authorized a full investigation in September 2021. The Philippine government has maintained that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the country since its withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
The situation involving dela Rosa follows the March 2025 arrest and extradition of former President Duterte to the ICC. Duterte is also facing trial on charges of crimes against humanity connected to the anti-drug campaign. The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. initially stated it would not cooperate with the ICC but later authorized the execution of the court’s warrant for Duterte.
From his Senate office, dela Rosa addressed the public in a Facebook livestream reported by Inquirer.net. Speaking with Senator Robin Padilla, he said, “They want to fly me to The Hague, to be surrendered there. So please support me.” He added, “I became Philippine National Police chief to work, then this is what they will do to me?”
Prior to these events, dela Rosa had been absent from public view since November, around the time the ICC confirmed it had issued the warrant. According to Reuters, he attended a Senate session on May 11 for the first time since his absence.
