Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator wanted by ICC

The Philippine justice secretary has ordered law enforcement to apprehend a senator wanted by ⁠the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, a day after the country’s top court rejected his bid to block his arrest.

Senator ⁠Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former police chief and lead enforcer in the deadly so-called “war on drugs” during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency, would be tracked down and anyone helping him evade arrest would “face consequences”, Fredderick Vida said on Thursday.

“Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice. We’re pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved,” he told a news conference.

Vida did not elaborate on the leads authorities have on the location of dela Rosa, though the senator’s lawyers indicated this week he was in the Philippines.

Dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding last week and took refuge at the Senate for several days before slipping away in the early hours of May 14, after a night of chaos and gunfire, following his appeal for help and claim that his arrest was imminent.

Dela ⁠Rosa was Duterte’s top enforcer of a bloody crackdown during which thousands of alleged drug dealers were shot dead in police operations. At the peak of the campaign, murders of drug users spiked dramatically, as ⁠police blamed killings on turf wars.

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

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

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

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez ‌said on Thursday the PNP took note of the Department of Justice’s directive and would perform its mandate under the law, but stopped short of saying 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.