ICC Prosecution welcomes unsealing of arrest warrant vs. Bato dela Rosa

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Office of the Prosecutor on Tuesday said it welcomes the decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber I to unseal the arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.

“Mr Dela Rosa’s warrant of arrest is an important step in the Office’s ongoing pursuit of accountability for alleged crimes committed in the context of the so-called ‘war on drugs’ campaign in the Philippines,” the Prosecution said in a statement.

According to the Prosecution, the warrant was issued as a secret on November 6, 2025 and has been conveyed to the relevant authorities in the country.

It said the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Dela Rosa, along with former President Rodrigo Duterte and other co-perpetrators, is responsible for murders in the country between July 2016 to Aprli 2018.

“Based on evidence presented by the OTP, the Chamber found there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Dela Rosa, a former Davao City Police Director and subsequently chief of the Philippine National Police, is responsible for the crime against humanity of murder (article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute), through his involvement in a common plan that lasted from approximately 1 November 2011 until 16 March 2019 to kill alleged victims in the Philippines,” it said.

The Prosecution said the Chamber noted that the murders are a sample that represent a potentially broader pattern.

Meanwhile, the Prosecution called on direct witnesses in alleged crimes during the drug war, particularly former and present members of the PNP, to come forward and provide information.

On Monday, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, who had a copy of the ICC warrant, chased Dela Rosa inside the Senate premises.

The senator is currently under protective custody of the Senate. —VAL, GMA News