The International Criminal Court (ICC) has formally confirmed the existence of an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, unsealed on May 11 following months of speculation regarding his whereabouts.
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet verified the development, noting that the judicial process had actually begun late last year.
“This arrest warrant against Mr. Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa was issued confidentially, under seal, by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC on 6 November 2025.”
The warrant identifies Dela Rosa—who served as the first Philippine National Police chief under the Duterte administration—as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the government’s controversial war on drugs. The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I found that Dela Rosa’s involvement in a “common plan” allegedly resulted in the “crime against humanity of murder” between July 2016 and April 2018.
Prosecutors contend that Dela Rosa was part of a group, including former President Rodrigo Duterte, that “shared a common plan or agreement to neutralize alleged criminals in the Philippines.” This systematic campaign reportedly resulted in the deaths of “no less than 32 persons” during the specified period.
The announcement coincided with Dela Rosa’s sudden reappearance at the Senate on Monday. After being absent from the public eye since November, he returned to participate in a leadership shakeup, casting a vote to oust Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.
While Dela Rosa resumed his legislative duties, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV presented a copy of the warrant to the media alongside National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel, signaling a tightening legal net around the chief architect of the drug war.