Potential arrest of Duterte ally Dela Rosa tests Philippines’ ICC obligation

The Philippine government is facing mounting legal and political uncertainty after reports emerged that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may have issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – the former national police chief widely seen as the main enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s violent war on drugs.

Dela Rosa, a long-time Duterte ally and now a sitting senator, oversaw the Philippine National Police during the early years of Duterte’s presidency, when thousands were killed in anti-drug operations that rights groups have condemned as extrajudicial executions.

In March, Philippine authorities arrested Duterte himself in Manila after Interpol issued a red notice in connection with the court’s ongoing investigation into crimes against humanity committed as part of his anti-narcotics campaign.

If confirmed, an arrest warrant for a sitting senator would represent a major escalation in the ICC’s investigation, as well as a legal and political stress test for President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s administration.