The International Criminal Court (ICC) has publicly refused to confirm reports alleging the issuance of an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former top cop and key architect of the Duterte administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign. The claims, which sparked immediate political attention in the Philippines, remain unverified by the court’s official channels.
The controversy was ignited on November 8 when Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla stated in a radio interview that the ICC had issued a warrant against Dela Rosa in connection with the deadly “war on drugs.” Remulla claimed to have the information “on good authority,” though he could not provide independent verification at the time.
In a direct message to reporters on Monday, ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah firmly stated the court’s position: “No, the ICC can’t confirm such news.” He stressed that all official and verifiable information from the court, including its proceedings, must be sourced exclusively from its official communications channels and press releases. El Abdallah further clarified that to date, the ICC has officially opened only one case concerning the Philippines, naming former President Rodrigo Duterte.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine embassy in The Hague have also not received any warrant or related documents from the ICC. DFA noted that while the Rome Statute allows warrants to be transmitted directly to law enforcement agencies, no such document has been uploaded to the ICC’s online portal or received by diplomatic channels.
In response to the circulating reports, Senator Dela Rosa’s counsel urged the public and media to exercise caution, stating they do not have independent confirmation. Meanwhile, Malacañang and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) similarly announced they have received “No confirmation” of the warrant, although an Executive Secretary alluded to the possibility that the ICC may have issued it without yet transmitting it through Interpol for enforcement.
The conflicting claims from a high-ranking official and the explicit denial from the international body underscore a significant information gap. For now, the alleged warrant against Senator Dela Rosa remains a matter of unconfirmed speculation, pending an official announcement from the ICC itself.