The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Saturday that no public warrant has been issued in relation to the Philippines, amid circulating reports that it has issued an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
“No public arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the situation in the Philippines,” ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said in a message to reporters.
The clarification came just hours after reports emerged claiming that an arrest warrant had been issued against dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and a key figure in the government’s anti-drug campaign under former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa was previously identified by the ICC as a suspected “co-perpetrator” in the crimes against humanity case linked to Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, which is under ongoing investigation over alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) during the administration’s anti-illegal drugs operations.
Earlier, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) both said they have not received any official information from the ICC regarding an arrest warrant.
However, DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said authorities are preparing a contingency plan, including a proposed 10,000-member task force for possible “dragnet” operations should the ICC eventually issue warrants related to the case.
In a separate earlier claim in November 2025, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had said that the ICC had already issued a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa.
Following the circulation of reports about a possible warrant, Dela Rosa has not attended Senate sessions since November.
