Philippine senator flees ICC arrest over role in Duterte’s drug war

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa has evaded a cause warfare warrant against him.

A legislator from the Philippines has taken refuge wrong the country’s parliament aft the International Criminal Court unsealed an apprehension warrant regarding his relation successful the Philippines’ deadly cause war.

Ronald Dela Rosa was pictured by section media fleeing into the Senate gathering connected Monday, arsenic constabulary sought to detain him.

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The warrant, which had been held nether seal since November, was spurred by the erstwhile constabulary chief’s relation successful ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly warfare connected drugs, which prosecutors ‌say killed tens of thousands during his clip successful bureau successful 2016-2022.

The ICC confirmed connected Monday evening that the warrant had been issued confidentially connected November 6. It charges Dela Rosa arsenic an “indirect co-perpetrator” successful the “crime against humanity of murder”.

The erstwhile constabulary main is accused of work for killings carried retired betwixt July 2016 and April 2018.

Fleeing

Duterte is accused of having created, funded and equipped decease squads to termination suspected narcotics dealers and users during his clip arsenic president.

The erstwhile caput of authorities was arrested and taken to The Hague by the ICC successful March 2025. Charges of crimes against humanity were confirmed successful April this year.

The ICC has named 8 co-perpetrators successful the case, including Dela Rosa, who ran the Philippine National Police during the tallness of the cause war, and oversaw operations that quality rights groups accidental killed tens of thousands.

Ex-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte puts a chapeau connected then-Philippine National Police (PNP) main Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa [Noel Celis/AFP]

Rumours of an impending warrant successful November had seen Dela Rosa vanish from nationalist life. However, helium resurfaced connected Monday to formed the deciding ballot successful a Senate enactment coup by Duterte state Alan Peter Cayetano.

However, connected accomplishment astatine the parliament, helium recovered National Bureau of Investigation agents successful wait, and section media video showed him fleeing done the chamber’s corridors.

Cayetano rapidly placed the Senate connected “lockdown” and told reporters helium would lone honour an apprehension bid made by a Philippine court.

Later connected Monday, Dela Rosa went unrecorded connected Facebook to entreaty for support.

“They privation to alert maine to The Hague,” helium said. “I became Philippine National Police main to work, past this is what they volition bash to me?”