ICC unseals arrest warrant for Filipino senator linked to Duterte

The Hague (ANTARA) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday (11/5) unsealed an arrest warrant for Filipino Senator Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa, which was initially issued secretly at the end of 2025. Dela Rosa, former director of Davao City police who later served as head of the Philippine National Police during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration, is accused by the ICC of involvement in a joint criminal plan between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019 to kill criminal suspects in the Philippines, including those suspected of involvement in illegal drugs. “The arrest warrant delivered to the relevant authorities in the Republic of the Philippines was initially issued secretly on 6 November 2025, following a submission from the Office of the Prosecutor on 3 November 2025, but has only now been publicised due to a change in circumstances,” stated the ICC Office of the Prosecutor. Duterte, who served as President of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and transferred to ICC custody in March 2025 based on a separate arrest warrant related to his anti-drug campaign, a move opposed by Duterte. Duterte’s initial hearing before ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I took place on 14 March 2025. On 28 November 2025, the court rejected an appeal for his release on grounds of advanced age and deteriorating health. On 23 April, the ICC confirmed all three charges of crimes against humanity against Duterte and decided he will stand trial.