The Philippine government has ordered law enforcement agencies to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly “war on drugs.”
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida announced the directive on Thursday, one day after the Philippine Supreme Court rejected dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order to block his arrest.
Vida said authorities would pursue the senator and warned that anyone assisting him in evading arrest would “face consequences.”
“Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice. We’re pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved,” Vida told reporters.
The ICC last week unsealed an arrest warrant accusing dela Rosa, Duterte, and other alleged “co-perpetrators” of the crime against humanity of murder.
Dela Rosa served as national police chief from 2016 to 2018 and was considered Duterte’s leading enforcer during the anti-drug campaign, which resulted in thousands of deaths during police operations and related attacks.
The ICC estimates that between 12,000 and 30,000 people were killed between 2016 and 2019 during the crackdown.
Authorities often attributed the killings to vigilantes, turf wars, or armed resistance during operations.
Dela Rosa has repeatedly denied involvement in unlawful killings or inciting violence during the campaign.
Duterte, who also denies wrongdoing, has been detained in The Hague since March 2025 while awaiting ICC proceedings.
The senator’s whereabouts remain unknown after he disappeared from the Philippine Senate earlier this month following reports that his arrest was imminent.
Dela Rosa had spent several days sheltering in his Senate office before leaving in the early hours of May 14 after a chaotic night marked by gunfire and the entry of armed personnel into the Senate complex.
Before disappearing, he urged supporters and former military associates to oppose any attempt to transfer him to The Hague.
Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez said the police force would carry out its mandate under the law while ensuring all actions remain “impartial, professional, and within the bounds of the law.”