The International Criminal Court (ICC) confirmed that the arrest warrant against Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, which surfaced in Philippine media on Monday evening, May 11, is an authentic court document issued by the tribunal.
In a message to reporters, the ICC said the warrant had originally been issued confidentially and under seal by Pre-Trial Chamber I on Nov. 6, 2025.
“The International Criminal Court confirms that the document published by national authorities of the Republic of the Philippines and circulated in media is indeed a formal ICC document,” the tribunal stated.
“This arrest warrant against Mr. Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa was issued confidentially, under seal, by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC on 6 November 2025,” it added.
The tribunal also disclosed that it is now moving to unseal the warrant.
The confirmation came days after reports emerged that the ICC had issued a warrant against Dela Rosa in connection with its investigation into alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The leaked document circulated online and was later published by several media organizations, prompting questions about its authenticity.
Dela Rosa earlier questioned the reported warrant and maintained that he was prepared to face the case should the ICC proceed against him.
However, he stopped appearing at the Senate or in public when a possible arrest warrant was first floated in November last year.
He resurfaced only on May 11, when his allies in the Senate moved to oust Sen. Vicente Sotto III as Senate President and replace him with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV also appeared in the Senate on May 11, holding a copy of what he claimed was an ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, is considered one of the key figures linked to the campaign now under ICC investigation.
The ICC has been investigating alleged crimes committed in the Philippines in relation to anti-drug operations conducted from Nov. 1, 2011, to March 16, 2019. (Argyll Geducos)
