VP Sara Duterte: Attempt to serve ICC warrant vs Bato dela Rosa was wrong

THE HAGUE – Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday criticized the attempted enforcement of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald dela Rosa, stressing that warrants of foreign origin must be first presented before a local court.

Duterte made the remarks in an interview in The Hague, where she is visiting her detained father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Mali ‘yan. Tulad ng ginawa nila kay dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte, mali din iyon,” the Vice President said when asked to comment on the attempted implementation of the arrest warrant against dela Rosa, her father’s ally.

(That’s wrong. Like what they did to former President Rodrigo Duterte, that’s wrong.)

“Dahil ang isang warrant of arrest, galing sa labas ng Pilipinas, hindi issued by a Philippine court, should be presented in a Philippine court,” she added.

(Because the warrant of arrest came from outside the Philippines and not issued by a Philippine court, it should be presented before a Philippine court.)

It may be recalled that her father, the former President, was also served an ICC arrest warrant in March 2025 by the police. The 81-year-old Duterte was flown to The Hague after he was arrested and has been detained there since then.

For his part, Dela surfaced at the Senate after six months of absence on Monday, where he was confronted with an attempt to serve the ICC’s arrest warrant against him.

The arrest warrant was initially issued as “secret” on November 6, 2026. It was in connection with the killings in the Duterte administration’s war on illegal drugs.

Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) at the height of the anti-narcotics campaign that is now under the ICC’s scrutiny.

The Senate was briefly placed under lockdown amid attempts of agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to approach Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa’s lawyers on Monday filed a manifestation for immediate judicial protection before the Supreme Court (SC).

Newly-installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano later said Dela Rosa would not be arrested on Monday night after discussions with NBI director Melvin Matibag.

Cayetano said the Senate’s position was that the matter should pass through Philippine courts first.

Meanwhile, Duterte declined to comment on the change in the Senate leadership on Monday that led to the removal of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

She said the matter was for senators to decide on their own.

“Wala naman, kung ano yung liderato sa loob ng Senado, desisyon ‘yon ng mga senators, mga miyembro ng Philippine Senate,” the Vice President said.

(I don’t have any comment. Whatever the leadership is inside the Senate, that is decided by the members of the Philippine Senate.) — JMA, GMA News