MANILA — In a dramatic escalation of the Philippines’ drug war accountability saga, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has officially confirmed the authenticity of an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former Philippine National Police chief.
The ICC unsealed and made public the warrant on Monday night, May 11, putting an end to swirling speculation after copies of the document circulated in the media. ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet confirmed the warrant “is indeed a formal ICC document,” issued confidentially on November 6, 2025, by Pre-Trial Chamber I.
The warrant charges Dela Rosa as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the crime against humanity of murder, linked to the bloody anti-drug campaign during the Duterte administration. According to the ICC, Dela Rosa allegedly shared a “common plan” with former President Rodrigo Duterte and others to neutralize suspected drug personalities through violent means, resulting in the deaths of at least 32 persons between July 3, 2016, and the end of April 2018.
Dela Rosa, who had kept a low public profile since November, made a notable appearance in the Senate on the very same day the warrant was confirmed. He cast his vote in the dramatic leadership shakeup that ousted Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
Adding to the political theater, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, accompanied by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel, presented what he claimed was a copy of the ICC arrest warrant to the media earlier that day.
As Duterte’s first PNP chief, Dela Rosa played a central and highly visible role in the implementation of the aggressive drug crackdown that drew both domestic support and international condemnation for its human toll.
The confirmation marks a significant milestone in the ICC’s ongoing investigation into the Philippines’ drug war, thrusting one of the country’s most recognizable political figures into the crosshairs of international justice.
Dela Rosa has yet to issue a public statement regarding the confirmed warrant.
