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Janvic Mateo - The Philippine Star
December 9, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Following another claim that an arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, his lawyer yesterday appealed to the Supreme Court (SC) to finally issue a ruling on the petition they filed following the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March.
Speaking on “Storycon” on One News, Israelito Torreon confirmed receiving information about the supposed ICC warrant against Dela Rosa from former
presidential spokesman Harry Roque.
But he said Roque, who is seeking asylum in Europe, also received the information from a friend, making it secondhand information.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla had announced earlier that he has seen a copy of the arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, but declined to release it to the public.
Torreon said they are prepared and have laid out a plan in case rumours of the arrest warrant turn out to be true.
Dela Rosa has not been seen in public, and has not appeared at the Senate, since Remulla announced the existence of the supposed arrest warrant last month.
Torreon maintained that the senator cannot simply be arrested and turned over to the ICC like what happened with Duterte.
“We do not have a legal framework on how to effectuate the surrender… we don’t have the necessary procedure,” he said in Filipino.
“The mandate of due process, likewise, has to be complied with… you cannot just ‘kidnap’ Sen. Bato and bring him to The Hague without passing through our courts because we are Filipinos,” Torreon added.
The Marcos administration maintained the legality of Duterte’s arrest and surrender, citing the country’s commitment to Interpol and the provisions under Republic Act 9851 or the Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.
Torreon, representing Duterte and Dela Rosa, filed a petition for certiorari before the SC questioning the former president’s arrest.
The High Court did not issue a temporary restraining order and has not yet ruled on the matter.
“(It is the) better part of prudence to await the ruling of the Supreme Court before we act on the matter,” Torreon said, referring to effecting any arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.
“I respect the Supreme Court… I am praying and hoping on bended knees that finally they will act on the matter,” he added.
No copy of arrest warrant – DOJ
To date, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not received or seen a copy of a supposed arrest warrant issued by the ICC against Dela Rosa in connection with his involvement in the extrajudicial killings in the previous administration’s war on drugs.
Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon issued the remark following Roque’s claim of the supposed arrest warrant.
“I don’t know what his basis is, but we have not, to date, received or seen a copy of the same. I do doubt, though, that Harry Roque has a copy as well, as definitely he will not be among those who will be furnished with it,” Fadullon told reporters.
Roque also told Dela Rosa to exercise his right to be brought before a Philippine court first and seek sanctuary at the SC.
The senator had filed a very urgent motion before the SC to compel the ombudsman to produce the warrant, but the high tribunal has rejected the request.
Remulla earlier said Dela Rosa, who served as the chief implementer of the bloody drug war when he was Philippine National Police (PNP) chief from 2016 to 2018, is still in the Philippines supposedly in Pampanga, and authorities are tracking his whereabouts “once in a while.”
The ombudsman said he learned of the existence of the warrant through his former colleagues in the DOJ and someone acting as a liaison for the ICC.— Daphne Galvez, Evelyn Macairan
