Jonathan Frederic De Santos

The façade of the ICC building in The Hague. Jofelle P. Tesorio, ABS-CBN News Europe Bureau/file

Article (news)

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (5th UPDATE) — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Saturday morning said it is still verifying information that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who was national police chief in the early years of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, former DOJ chief, made the announcement on a radio program but DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the department is “working to verify this information.”He said the DOJ has “not yet seen or received a copy of said arrest warrant” and said the department will provide details as soon as they are available.  Lawyer Israelito Torreon, Dela Rosa&#x27;s counsel, has acknowledged the reports of the supposed warrant and urged caution &quot;until verified information is officially released by competent authorities or by the ICC itself.&quot;Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla — the ombudsman&#x27;s brother — told ABS-CBN News that no red notice against the senator has been issued so far.“As per the center for transnational crimes, there has been no red notice issued by the Interpol as of 10 minutes ago,” he said in a message to ABS-CBN News at 10:47 a.m.Asked about it, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said: “No confirmation. Busy sa Uwan (We are busy with the typhoon).” Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in The Hague said they have not received any warrant of arrest or related documents from the ICC, nor has any such document been uploaded in the ICC online portal. &quot;We note that under the Rome Statute, arrest warrants, if any, can be transmitted directly to law enforcement agencies of relevant countries,&quot; the DFA said in a statement Saturday.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/17/escudero-explains-why-dela-rosa-cant-be-arrested-within-senate-premises-1825">RELATED: Escudero explains why Dela Rosa can&#x27;t be arrested within Senate premises</a></div><div> </div><div>DELA ROSA LAWYER: GOV&#x27;T SHOULD ACT WITHIN RULE OF LAW</div>Torreon, who is also the lawyer of detained Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy, said he trusts that the government will &quot;act in accordance with the rule of law&quot; in case a warrant really has been issued.&quot;Any such action shall first pass through the proper local judicial confirmation process consistent with our Constitution, due process, and the sovereign rights of the Republic of the Philippines.&quot;In a message to the media, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he has no information on the supposed warrant.He said, however, that the Senate cannot allow Dela Rosa&#x27;s arrest within the chamber&#x27;s premises &quot;to preserve the dignity of the Senate and as a matter of institutional courtesy.&quot;Beyond the Senate halls, he said, any potential arrest would be &quot;no longer our concern.&quot;<div> </div><div>&#x27;DELA ROSA NAMED IN DRAFT ICC CHARGES&#x27; </div>Lawyer Maria Kristina Conti, who represents families of drug war victims and who is assistant to counsel at the ICC, said they “cannot confirm something that the Court has not publicly shared.”Conti said it was up to the Marcos Jr. administration to enforce an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa and surrender him to the ICC.“We have maintained that a warrant against Bato Dela Rosa, Duterte&#x27;s co-perpetrator of crimes against humanity, is certain from what victims know and what the prosecution has presented,” she also said in a text message.Authorities have acknowledged more than 7,000 drug personalities killed in anti-narcotics operations in the bloody drug war that Dela Rosa led as head of the Philippine National Police.President Rodrigo Duterte has been detained in The Hague, the Netherlands since March to face a crimes against humanity charge related to the drug war.Conti said Dela Rosa&#x27;s name was among those mentioned in the draft charges against Duterte.While the names of the eight others were redacted in the publicly-available version of the ICC document, Conti said it shows that at least two were police officers, one was an appointed official, one was “close enough,” and another one was a friend. The senator earlier said <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/24/dela-rosa-ready-if-icc-issues-arrest-warrant-against-him-2006">he was prepared for the looming arrest should it be implemented</a>.“I am ready. I am ready,” Dela Rosa said on September 24. — with Zen Hernandez, Karen de Guzman and Zyann Ambrosio, ABS-CBN News

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, former DOJ chief, made the announcement on a radio program but DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the department is “working to verify this information.”

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, former DOJ chief, made the announcement on a radio program but DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the department is “working to verify this information.”

DOJ 'working to verify' alleged ICC issuance of warrant for Dela Rosa

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DOJ 'working to verify' alleged ICC issuance of warrant for Dela Rosa

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 08, 2025 11:02 AM PHT

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Updated November 08, 2025 06:38 PM PHT

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Jesus Crispin Remulla

Ronald Dela Rosa

Bato Dela Rosa

International Criminal Court

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