The Philippine Supreme Court has denied a petition to block the arrest of Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity. The ruling clears the way for his potential arrest, marking the latest twist in a dramatic saga gripping the nation.

Dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted for his role in the bloody “war on drugs” under former President Rodrigo Duterte (2016-2022). He has denied involvement in illegal killings. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s spokeswoman Claire Castro stated that the arrest warrant is valid against the senator.

Philippine authorities confirmed last week they were seeking to arrest dela Rosa, who argued in his petition that law enforcement had no legal authority to execute a warrant issued by a foreign court. The Supreme Court's interim ruling rejected his request for a restraining order, though other issues in the petition remain unresolved.

Dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding last week and took refuge in the Senate for several days before fleeing after a shooting incident between government agents and Senate security. His lawyer vowed to exhaust all legal remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration, emphasizing that the ruling is not a final judgment on the merits.

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said authorities will “definitely” seek to arrest dela Rosa and execute the ICC warrant. Dela Rosa, as former national police chief, was Duterte's top enforcer in a crackdown that killed thousands of alleged drug dealers. The ICC estimates 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed from 2016 to 2019. Duterte, also accused of crimes against humanity, has been in ICC custody in The Hague since March 2025 and maintains his innocence.

Source: www.aljazeera.com