In a stunning development, Kristina Conti, assistant to counsel at the International Criminal Court, revealed that Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is expected to be served an arrest warrant in the coming weeks.
In a seismic shift in the Philippines’ political landscape, the International Criminal Court (ICC) is expected to issue an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in the coming weeks, according to Kristina Conti, assistant to counsel at the ICC. This development comes in the wake of the shocking arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who now faces international charges related to crimes against humanity stemming from his bloody “war on drugs.”
Senator Dela Rosa, Duterte’s former police chief and one of the chief architects of the controversial anti-drug campaign, has long been under the ICC’s microscope. His instrumental role in launching and enforcing “Oplan Tokhang”—a policy that has left thousands dead—places him at the center of the court’s ongoing investigation.
“It is no longer a matter of if—but when,” Conti said during a press briefing in The Hague. “The warrant for Senator Dela Rosa is expected imminently.”
The issuance of Duterte’s arrest warrant and his subsequent detention in ICC custody sent shockwaves through the international community and the Philippines alike. Critics of the former administration have hailed it as a historic step toward accountability, while allies have called it a political attack on national sovereignty.
Dela Rosa has remained defiant, frequently dismissing the ICC’s jurisdiction and framing the drug war as a “noble crusade” to rid the country of crime. However, with Duterte now under ICC custody, legal analysts say Dela Rosa may no longer be shielded by political alliances or nationalistic rhetoric.
Human rights watchdogs estimate that between 12,000 to 30,000 people—many from poor communities—were killed during Duterte’s drug war. The ICC’s investigation aims to determine the scope of state-sanctioned extrajudicial killings and whether high-ranking officials, including Dela Rosa, bear direct responsibility.
The expected arrest of Dela Rosa marks a crucial escalation in the ICC’s landmark case, possibly setting a precedent for international accountability in the Southeast Asian region. It also sends a strong signal to government officials worldwide: impunity, even at the highest levels of power, will eventually face a reckoning.
