ICC unseals arrest warrant for Philippine senator in Duterte-linked case

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday unsealed an arrest warrant for Philippine Senator Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa, originally issued in secret in late 2025, reported Xinhua.

Dela Rosa, a former Davao City police director and later chief of the Philippine National Police under former President Rodrigo Duterte, is accused by the ICC of involvement in a common plan between Nov. 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019, to kill alleged criminals in the Philippines, including people suspected of involvement in illegal drugs.

"The warrant of arrest, which has been conveyed to the relevant authorities in the Republic of the Philippines, was originally issued as secret on 6 November 2025, following an application by the Office on 3 November 2025, but has only now become public following changes in the circumstances," the ICC Office of the Prosecutor said in a statement.

Duterte, who served as the Philippine president from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and transferred to ICC custody in March 2025 under a separate warrant linked to his anti-drug campaign. He has challenged the move.

His initial appearance before ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I took place on March 14, 2025. On Nov. 28, 2025, the court rejected an appeal seeking his release on grounds of age and declining health.

On 23 April, the ICC confirmed all three counts of crimes against humanity against Duterte and committed him to trial.