A prominent Filipino senator and key architect of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal “war on drugs” has sought sanctuary within the Philippine Senate building, mere hours before the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest.
On Monday, May 11, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was captured on security footage frantically entering the Senate complex as agents from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) pursued him. The former police chief, who notably received a prestigious honor from the Indonesian National Police in 2018, managed to evade capture and remains under the protection of the Senate. Philippine authorities have since confirmed that they will not attempt to execute an arrest while he remains within the Senate grounds.
Dela Rosa served as the Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the Duterte administration. He is accused of being an “indirect perpetrator” in the deaths of at least 32 individuals between 2016 and 2018, during the height of state-sanctioned anti-drug operations. These campaigns resulted in thousands of suspected drug dealers being killed—a series of events that eventually led to the detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte by the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, in March 2025.
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In a dramatic display of the escalating political crisis, legislative members were shown surveillance footage on Monday depicting NBI agents chasing Dela Rosa through the Senate corridors. The senator was seen swiftly navigating stairwells to reach the safety of the chambers. Hours later, the head of the NBI stated that his agency would refrain from making an arrest as long as the senator remained under the Senate’s jurisdiction.
Dela Rosa has vowed to remain within the complex, declaring that he will “do everything” in his power to avoid being extradited to The Hague. His legal team has formally petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the arrest warrant, arguing that no valid order has been issued by a Philippine judicial body.
By Tuesday morning, May 12, Dela Rosa called upon his supporters gathered outside the Senate to maintain their vigil until the Supreme Court reaches a decision. He also issued a defiant challenge to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—with whom the Duterte political dynasty is currently embroiled in a high-stakes power struggle—to file formal local charges if the government truly believes in his culpability.
“If I have any accountability, I will answer it in a local court, not a foreign one,” he told reporters.
Who is Bato dela Rosa?
Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa rose to prominence during his tenure as the Philippine National Police chief, where he was the face of the government’s controversial anti-narcotics campaign. During this period, the police operated under a mandate from Rodrigo Duterte to shoot drug suspects on sight. Human rights groups estimate that the campaign claimed at least 12,000 lives; a 2018 Human Rights Watch report alleged that 4,000 of these were killed by police, while the remainder were attributed to “unidentified gunmen.”
Beyond extrajudicial killings, security forces were frequently accused of forced disappearances and systemic torture. While Dela Rosa occasionally offered apologies for high-profile police blunders, such as the 2016 killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa inside a provincial jail, the accusations of widespread human rights violations led to his and Duterte’s referral to the ICC.
His international reputation remains complicated. In February 2018, the Indonesian National Police awarded him the Bintang Bhayangkara Utama, one of the country’s highest honors. Then-police chief Tito Karnavian defended the award at the time, stating it was intended to foster stronger border security and bilateral relations. Upon receiving the honor, Dela Rosa expressed his gratitude, noting that the recognition would “inspire me to exert more effort in our war against illegal drugs.”
The Duterte-Marcos Political Feud
The timing of this crisis coincides with a volatile shift in Philippine politics. On Monday, the 24-member Senate, largely composed of Duterte allies, elected Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate President. Cayetano emphasized that the chamber would only honor arrest warrants issued by Philippine courts.
Simultaneously, allies of President Marcos in the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, for a second time. This marks a deepening rift between the two most powerful political dynasties in the country, following the collapse of their alliance after the 2022 elections.
As the frontrunner to challenge the Marcos faction in the next presidential election, Sara Duterte has characterized the ICC proceedings and her impeachment as political weapons intended to undermine her campaign. Meanwhile, Rodrigo Duterte has consistently challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction, citing the Philippines’ 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute. However, ICC Pre-Trial Chamber judges ruled last month that because the alleged crimes occurred between 2011 and 2019—while the Philippines was still a member—Duterte remains subject to the court’s authority.
Additional reporting by Virma Simonette.
Summary
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a primary architect of former President Duterte’s drug war, has sought sanctuary within the Philippine Senate to evade an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. He managed to escape National Bureau of Investigation agents following a pursuit through the legislative building and remains under Senate protection. Philippine authorities have confirmed they will not attempt to execute the arrest as long as he remains on the grounds.
Dela Rosa faces accusations for his role in at least 32 deaths during state-sanctioned anti-drug operations and has formally petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the warrant. He maintains that he will only answer to local courts rather than international jurisdiction. This legal standoff occurs amid an intensifying political power struggle between the rival Marcos and Duterte dynasties.