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Philippine senator flees ICC arrest over role in Duterte’s drug war
TL;DR
Philippine senator Ronald Dela Rosa has sought refuge in parliament after an ICC arrest warrant was issued for his role in the drug war under ex-President Duterte. The warrant charges him with being an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity.
Key points
- Ronald Dela Rosa is a senator in the Philippines.
- An ICC arrest warrant was issued for his role in the drug war.
- The warrant charges him with crimes against humanity.
- Dela Rosa fled to the Senate building to avoid arrest.
- The drug war resulted in tens of thousands of deaths.
Mentioned in this story
Ronald Dela RosaRodrigo DuterteInternational Criminal Court
A senator from the Philippines has taken refuge inside the country’s parliament after the International Criminal Court unsealed an arrest warrant regarding his role in the Philippines’ deadly drug war.
Ronald Dela Rosa was pictured by local media fleeing into the Senate building on Monday, as police sought to detain him.
The warrant, which had been held under seal since November, was spurred by the former police chief’s role in ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs, which prosecutors say killed tens of thousands during his time in office in 2016-2022.
The ICC confirmed on Monday evening that the warrant had been issued confidentially on November 6. It charges Dela Rosa as an “indirect co-perpetrator” in the “crime against humanity of murder”.
The former police chief is accused of responsibility for killings carried out between July 2016 and April 2018.
Fleeing
Duterte is accused of having created, funded and armed death squads to kill suspected narcotics dealers and users during his time as president.
The former head of state was arrested and taken to The Hague by the ICC in March 2025. Charges of crimes against humanity were confirmed in April this year.
The ICC has named eight co-perpetrators in the case, including Dela Rosa, who ran the Philippine National Police during the height of the drug war, and oversaw operations that human rights groups say killed tens of thousands.
Q&A
What is the ICC arrest warrant against Ronald Dela Rosa about?
The ICC arrest warrant charges Ronald Dela Rosa with being an indirect co-perpetrator in the crime against humanity of murder related to the Philippines' drug war.
Why did Ronald Dela Rosa flee to the Senate building?
Ronald Dela Rosa fled to the Senate building to avoid arrest by police following the unsealing of the ICC warrant against him.
What was the impact of Duterte's drug war in the Philippines?
Duterte's drug war is accused of resulting in tens of thousands of killings during his presidency from 2016 to 2022.
