THE Department of Justice (DoJ) said it has ordered Philippine law enforcement agencies to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa and facilitate his transfer to The Hague, escalating a legal standoff tied to International Criminal Court (ICC) crimes against humanity charges.
Justice Secretary Fredderick A. Vida on Thursday said state authorities, including the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation, are now mandated to enforce the arrest warrant after the senator left Senate custody.
“Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice, and he should be brought to the ICC to face the charges,” he told reporters.
The directive follows a Supreme Court ruling that declined to issue a temporary restraining order that would have blocked the ICC warrant’s implementation, effectively removing judicial barriers cited by the defense.
Mr. Vida said the government had refrained from acting due to the Senate’s protective custody arrangement, but that cover ended when Mr. dela Rosa, who enforced former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s deadly drug war as his national police chief, left the premises on May 14.
He rejected suggestions that authorities were mounting a “manhunt,” describing such terminology as unnecessary, while confirming that intelligence operations and coordination among agencies were underway.
Law enforcement units have been ordered to conduct intelligence gathering, operational planning and counterintelligence work to determine the senator’s location. Authorities also warned that people helping in evasion could face legal consequences.
An Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order remains in effect, according to the DoJ, preventing Mr. dela Rosa from leaving the country while efforts to secure custody continue.
DoJ spokesman Raphael Niccolo L. Martinez said the government might also pursue an Interpol Red Notice as part of international coordination efforts.
“That is a remedy available to us,” Mr. Martinez said, adding that a domestic hold departure order could not be issued without a pending case before a Philippine court.
The DoJ maintained that enforcement of the ICC warrant aligns with the Philippines’ obligations under the Rome Statute despite its withdrawal from the treaty in 2019, citing continuing legal exposure linked to alleged crimes committed while the country was still a party.
The ICC has accused Mr. dela Rosa of crimes against humanity of murder as a co-perpetrator in Mr. Duterte’s drug war, covering incidents between 2011 and 2019.
Judges of the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I found reasonable grounds to believe he bore responsibility for killings between July 2016 and April 2018, involving at least 32 deaths, according to the warrant summary.
Mr. dela Rosa’s legal team said it would file a motion for reconsideration and exhaust all remedies to block enforcement, arguing that the warrant lacks domestic enforceability.
The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said the Supreme Court’s denial of injunctive relief confirms there is no legal impediment to executing the arrest order.
It said Mr. dela Rosa failed to show a clear and unmistakable right, an imminent violation or urgent and irreparable harm that would justify court intervention. It also noted that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group subpoena cited in earlier filings had been withdrawn.
The OSG said it is awaiting the full Supreme Court ruling to clarify remaining legal issues.
Families of drug war victims, represented by the advocacy group Rise Up for Life and Rights, urged the international community to support swift enforcement of the ICC warrant.
They said their pursuit of accountability followed years of impunity and denial of justice domestically.
“In the interest of justice, respect for due process, and the healing of our families and communities, Senator Bato dela Rosa should be arrested and surrendered to the ICC immediately,” the group said in a statement. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
