The highest court in the Philippines has turned down a senator’s attempt to prevent authorities from arresting him and handing him over to the International Criminal Court.
On Wednesday, the Philippine Supreme Court denied Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked his detention. The former police chief’s current location remains unknown.
The International Criminal Court seeks dela Rosa on charges of crimes against humanity connected to his involvement in the deadly anti-drug operations that took place when Rodrigo Duterte served as president from 2016 to 2022. The senator has rejected claims that he participated in unlawful killings.
Last week, Philippine officials confirmed they were working to detain the former top police official who spearheaded the controversial crackdown. In his court filing, dela Rosa contended that domestic law enforcement lacked the legal power to carry out an arrest warrant from an international tribunal.
This court ruling represents another development in an unfolding drama that has captivated the Philippines since the beginning of last week and removes a barrier to his detention.
After staying hidden for six months, dela Rosa surfaced last week and sought sanctuary in the Senate building for several days. He then disappeared in the early morning hours of May 14, following a chaotic night marked by gunshots after he requested assistance and claimed his arrest was approaching.
The outspoken dela Rosa served as Duterte’s primary lieutenant in implementing a violent campaign that resulted in thousands of suspected drug traffickers being killed during police raids.
When the operation was at its height, murders of people who used drugs increased sharply, with law enforcement attributing these deaths to vigilante groups and territorial disputes.
Human rights organizations state that determining an exact number of casualties may be impossible and claim police conducted systematic executions and concealed evidence, allegations that officers reject while maintaining that victims were armed and fought back during arrests.
Duterte is presently held in The Hague following his arrest last year and faces trial on crimes against humanity charges. He continues to assert his innocence.
Dela Rosa’s legal representative did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
The court noted that although it rejected the restraining order request, other matters raised in the senator’s legal filing still require consideration.
On Friday, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida stated that authorities will “definitely” move to apprehend dela Rosa and carry out the ICC warrant.
