Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa says he won’t surrender and asks the military to block his transfer to the ICC trial in the Netherlands.
(UPDATE) SEN.. Ronald Dela Rosa, hiding in the Senate to evade arrest, on Wednesday rejected calls from some of his fellow lawmakers to surrender and called on the military to stop government attempts to arrest and fly him to the Netherlands to stand trial on charges of crimes against humanity.Dela Rosa began his third day holed up at the Senate building after its leadership stopped government efforts to serve an arrest warrant from the International
Criminal Court (ICC) over his role in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.Dela Rosa, better known by his nickname “Bato,” is accused of the crime against humanity of murder along with Duterte and other co-perpetrators.“I am not appealing for violent support.. I am appealing for peaceful support,” he told reporters.He urged “my fellow men in uniform” and former classmates at the Philippine Military Academy, which produces most of the armed forces’ officer corps,
to “express their sentiment” that the Marcos government “should not hand me over to foreigners.” Outside the Senate on Wednesday, about 500 riot police faced off with some 250 protesters demanding the arrest and handover to the ICC of a person they described as the “architect” of Duterte’s drug war.The crackdown left thousands dead, human rights monitors say, many of them drug users and low-level narcotics peddlers.Dela Rosa was police chief in 2016–2018, during Duterte’s
first two years in office.Duterte was arrested in March last year, flown to the Netherlands on the same day, and is detained in The Hague, where he awaits trial.The senator had not been seen publicly since November before emerging on Monday to take part in an unexpected vote that helped Duterte loyalists capture control of the Senate.The new Senate leadership said it would only allow Dela Rosa’s arrest if it was ordered by a Philippine
court.A Marcos spokeswoman said on Tuesday the president would not interfere in the decisions of the Senate.The Supreme Court has yet to act on a Dela Rosa petition to stop the government from enforcing the ICC arrest warrant.No surrenderDela Rosa on Wednesday rejected calls from several fellow lawmakers for him to surrender, saying they should not be overly eager to see him jailed.The statement came a day after Senators Francis Pangilinan, Vicente Sotto III, Panfilo
Lacson, Risa Hontiveros and Bam Aquino filed a resolution urging Dela Rosa to submit himself to the authorities and avail himself of legal remedies under the Constitution and existing laws.Dela Rosa expressed disappointment over the move, saying it was unfair for colleagues he had worked with for years in the Senate to push for his surrender, particularly since the case involves a foreign tribunal.He also questioned why Lacson, whom he described as a longtime ally,
signed the resolution.When informed that the resolution merely called for surrendering to proper authorities and did not explicitly mention the ICC, Dela Rosa argued that the current administration could still facilitate his transfer to the international tribunal.He pointed to the case of Duterte, who in March 2025 was flown to The Hague in the Netherlands to face trial before the ICC over crimes against humanity allegations tied to his administration’s antidrug campaign.According to Dela Rosa,
Duterte’s transfer to the ICC took place without first undergoing local judicial proceedings, reinforcing his concerns that a similar process could happen in his case.He said those urging him to surrender might act differently if they themselves were placed in the same situation.Cayetano slams surrender resolutionSenate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday criticized senators who asked Dela Rosa to surrender.Speaking to reporters, Cayetano said the resolution was inappropriate and politically motivated.He said Dela Rosa had
repeatedly stated he would comply with legal processes after all remedies had been exhausted, making the resolution unnecessary.“There was a certain level of disrespect in the resolution,” he said.Cayetano said they would discuss the resolution in a caucus meeting, emphasizing that although 24 senators signed various documents related to Senate matters, this did not automatically mean the resolution would be prioritized for plenary action.“This is not the first attempt to take over the majority,” one
senator said, suggesting that political maneuvering was under way within the chamber.The new majority bloc that is aligned with Duterte also warned that the issue could be elevated to the Senate Ethics Committee if evidence emerges that certain actions were politically motivated or intended to destabilize the Senate leadership.Vice President Sara Duterte, who was in The Hague visiting her father, also criticized the resolution.‘Palace will be fair’The Palace on Wednesday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr..
would remain fair and would provide all legal rights and remedies to any Filipino regardless of his political affiliation, following Dela Rosa’s appeal for protection against an arrest warrant issued by the ICC.Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the statement after Dela Rosa thanked her for saying that the government would uphold his rights in accordance with the law.In a statement, Castro told Dela Rosa that the Marcos administration does not operate through harassment but
through due process and fairness.“We just want to inform Senator Bato and everyone that the administration of President Marcos is fair, follows the law and does not enforce violence,” Castro said.“All assistance that can be extended to our countrymen in accordance with the law will not be denied.. So no matter what a person’s color is, the interest of the people must remain the priority and not personal gains,” she added.Dela Rosa, who oversaw the
Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs as chief of the Philippine National Police, was named a co-perpetrator in the crimes against humanity charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is in The Hague awaiting trial before the ICC.After an attempt to serve the arrest warrant on him, Dela Rosa asked Marcos for protection as one of the president’s constituents.On Tuesday, Castro said that even victims of extrajudicial killings were seeking protection, too, from the government.Nevertheless,
she said that all accused who were asking for protection, including Dela Rosa, would be afforded such in accordance with the law.Castro, however, said that Marcos has consistently directed law enforcement agencies to follow the law.She also called on Duterte and Dela Rosa supporters to respect lawful process and not sow violence.“There is no need for chaos.. People only need to understand the law, follow the law and there is no need to use force..
There is no need for harassment coming from different camps,” Castro said.. WITH AFP AND RED MENDOZA
Ronald Dela Rosa, ICC arrest warrant, Philippine Senate standoff, Duterte drug war, Crimes against humanity trial, Alan Peter Cayetano, Marcos Palace statement