ICC Warrant of Arrest Vs. Senator Bato Unverified— Lawyer

MANILA—There is no confirmation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest against Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa, who led the “War on Drugs" campaign as the Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

This statement was issued by Senator Dela Rosa’s counsel Atty. Israelito P. Torreon on Saturday, November 8, 2025, amid circulating reports claiming that ICC has issued warrant of arrest against the senator.

Atty. Torreon said the public should be cautious in sharing or interpreting reports until verified information is officially released by competent authorities or by the ICC itself.

“At this point, we do not have independent confirmation as to whether or not this information is accurate,” Torreon pointed out.

News about the ICC warrant of arrest for Sen. Dela Rosa came from an interview over station DZRH with Ombudsman Jesus Crispin "Boying" Remulla.

“If proven true, we trust that the Philippine Government will act in accordance with the rule of law, and that any such action shall first pass through the proper local judicial confirmation process consistent with our Constitution, due process, and the sovereign rights of the Republic of the Philippines,” Torreon said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is "working to verify" the information in a statement Saturday, 8 November 2025.

DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said that the Department has neither seen nor received an official copy of any such arrest warrant from the ICC.

Separately, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla, brother of Ombudsman Remulla, had reported that the Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes has not yet received an Interpol Red Notice against Senator Dela Rosa.

A Red Notice is an international request for the provisional arrest of an individual pending legal action.

On March 11, 2025, Duterte was arrested by the PNP and Interpol in Operation Pursuit under an ICC warrant charging him with Crimes Against Humanity related to the drug war.

A crime against humanity is an act committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack against a civilian population, and includes acts like murder, extermination, enslavement, torture, and persecution.