Amid reports of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him, Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa was once again absent from the Senate plenary session on Thursday, November 13.

Earlier, Dela Rosa’s camp insisted that the senator is not in hiding. Rather, they said, he is taking time to verify reports of an alleged ICC arrest warrant issued against him.

In an interview on dzRH's Balansyado on Wednesday, Atty. Martin Delgra III, said that the senator is not afraid of the reported ICC warrant. “Takot, hindi naman po. Concerned? Yes,” Delgra said.

When the Senate plenary session resumed following the recent long Undas break, Dela Rosa was still absent from the session on Wednesday, November 12.

Dela Rosa’s continued absence comes amid controversy following reports last week regarding his alleged ICC case.

The issue gained attention after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla mentioned on dzRH's Executuve Session on Saturday that an arrest warrant may have been issued by the ICC against the senator.

In a statement, Attorney Israelito Torreon, legal counsel of Dela Rosa, saying that there's no official confirmation from competent authorities instead.

The ICC’s scrutiny of the senator arises from allegations of his involvement in extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and human rights violations linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs, which has faced widespread criticism both domestically and internationally.

Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief from 2016 to 2018, has consistently denied any involvement in illegal killings, insisting that police operations during his tenure were lawful and focused on combating the country’s drug trade.

Meanwhile, Duterte is currently held at the ICC Detention Centre in The Hague, Netherlands.