International Criminal Court (ICC) spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah clarified that there have been no official updates or new arrest warrants beyond the case against former President Rodrigo Duterte—contradicting claims by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that the ICC had issued a warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
ICC defense lawyer Nicholas Kaufman echoed this, dismissing the reported warrant as “fictional” and “a figment of Ombudsman Remulla’s fertile imagination.”
Kaufman, who serves as Duterte’s lead counsel in the ICC’s crimes against humanity case, said it defies “common sense and prosecutorial logic” for the Court to issue further warrants while its jurisdiction over the Philippines remains unresolved on appeal.
“There is nothing to suggest that the supposed arrest warrant for Senator Dela Rosa is anything other than a figment of Ombudsman Remulla’s fertile imagination,” Kaufman said in a statement.
El Abdallah told NewsWatch Plus that official ICC updates are only released through its formal channels, and reiterated that the Court currently has only the case against Duterte, who was arrested in March.
The ICC’s public docket and press office have not released any new filings or announcements regarding additional charges or warrants related to the Philippine situation.
Both Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday, Nov. 8, that there was no confirmation yet if the ICC had indeed issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin noted that even if such a warrant existed, Dela Rosa could not be automatically turned over to the ICC.
“The Supreme Court has since come out with a new rule on extradition requiring a prior resort to a court before the person subject to extradition may be brought out of the country,” he said.
The ICC’s investigation into the Philippines focuses on alleged crimes against humanity committed during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs from 2016 to 2019.
The Philippine government withdrew from the ICC in 2019, a move that remains central to the ongoing jurisdictional debate. Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police chief during the early phase of the drug campaign, has consistently denied any wrongdoing, asserting that the operations were lawful. (Argyll Geducos)
