ICC says no public warrant issued in PH amid Bato warrant rumors

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There are instances where warrants remain secret, such as in Duterte's arrest. There are also cases where these documents are out in the open, such as in Netanyahu and Putin's ICC cases.

MANILA, Philippines – The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Saturday, May 9, that no public warrant had been issued in the Philippines, in light of reports of a supposed warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

“No public arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the situation in the Philippines,” ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet told reporters. 

There were instances where ICC warrants remained secret until they were executed, such as in the case of former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. The warrant was issued on March 7, 2025, but it was only made public and executed on March 11, 2025, the day of his arrest.

There were also cases where warrants were out in the open, such as in the ICC cases of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Whether warrants would be private or public depends on the ICC’s discretion.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said in November 2025 that the ICC had already issued a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa. The next step usually is the warrant’s transmittal to the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime (PCTC), then implementation, similar to what happened during Duterte’s arrest.

But as of Saturday, May 9, a high-level source told Rappler that the supposed “warrant” has yet to be transmitted to the PCTC.

“None yet to my information,” Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) chief Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla also told Rappler on Saturday when asked about the warrant.

The Department of Justice also said it had no information yet.

However, Remulla said they were preparing to implement a warrant in case it gets issued against Dela Rosa.

Per his last information, the interior chief said the senator — Duterte’s first Philippine National Police chief who first implemented the war on drugs on a nationwide scale — is currently in the Davao Region. Another source said Dela Rosa is in Mindanao.

“As of latest update, the DILG is preparing a 10k task force for the dragnet operations in case a warrant of arrest for Senator Bato is issued,” Remulla told Rappler.

“The PNP emphasizes that it acts only upon lawful orders issued by competent authorities and in accordance with existing laws, rules, and procedures. Any appropriate police action, if and when necessary, shall be undertaken with full adherence to due process, the rule of law, and respect for human rights,” PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Saturday.

Dela Rosa has yet to be seen in public and has not been reporting to work in the Senate since Remulla said there’s an ICC warrant against him.

In February, the ICC named the senator as one of the eight indirect co-perpetrators of Duterte in his crimes against humanity case. Others included were Senator Bong Go and former police chiefs Vicente Danao and Oscar Albayalde.

The ICC charge said Duterte and eight others allegedly shared “a common plan or agreement to ‘neutralize’ alleged criminals in the Philippines (including those perceived or alleged to be associated with drug use, sale or production) through violent crimes, including murder (‘Common Plan’).”

Duterte’s three counts of cases cover 49 incidents of killings, with 78 victims in the context of the Davao Death Squad when Duterte was mayor and the nationwide war on drugs.

ICC-accredited counsel and international law expert Ross Tugade said in February that when people like Dela Rosa have been named, “it is very much possible that the court is looking into issuing warrants.” – Rappler.com