Philippine Senator Seeks Military Support to Block ICC Drug War Arrest
Ronald Dela Rosa, former police chief and current senator, urges military support to prevent extradition to the Netherlands for trial on charges related to Duterte's drug war.
MANILA: Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte’s chief drug war enforcer, Ronald Dela Rosa, a sitting senator and ex-police chief, has sought the military's assistance to halt government efforts aimed at arresting him and handing him over to the Netherlands for trial on charges of crimes against humanity related to the country's bloody anti-drug campaign.
Dela Rosa, widely known by his nickname “Bato,” has been holed up at the Senate building since its leadership intervened to prevent the serving of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him alongside Duterte and other alleged co-perpetrators for murder as a crime against humanity.
Addressing reporters, Dela Rosa stated that he is not requesting violent support but rather peaceful assistance from his former colleagues at the Philippine Military Academy, where most of the armed forces' officer corps have been trained.
He urged them to express their sentiment that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration should refrain from surrendering him to foreign authorities.
Outside the Senate on Wednesday, approximately 500 riot police faced off against around 250 protesters who demanded Dela Rosa's arrest and transfer to the ICC.
These individuals referred to him as the “architect” of Duterte's drug war, which, according to human rights monitors, led to thousands of deaths, primarily among drug users and low-level narcotics peddlers.
Dela Rosa served as police chief from 2016 to 2018, during the initial two years of Duterte's presidency.
Duterte himself was arrested in March last year, immediately transferred to the Netherlands, and is currently detained in The Hague, awaiting trial.
Following his unexpected re-emergence on Monday to participate in a vote that helped pro-Duterte forces gain control over the Senate, Dela Rosa has not been seen publicly since November.
The new Senate leadership stated they would only allow for his arrest if it were ordered by a Philippine court.
A Marcos spokesperson confirmed that the president does not intend to interfere with the Senate's decisions.
The Supreme Court has yet to address Dela Rosa's petition seeking to halt Manila's enforcement of the ICC arrest warrant.
Dela Rosa, widely known by his nickname “Bato,” has been holed up at the Senate building since its leadership intervened to prevent the serving of an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accuses him alongside Duterte and other alleged co-perpetrators for murder as a crime against humanity.
Addressing reporters, Dela Rosa stated that he is not requesting violent support but rather peaceful assistance from his former colleagues at the Philippine Military Academy, where most of the armed forces' officer corps have been trained.
He urged them to express their sentiment that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s administration should refrain from surrendering him to foreign authorities.
Outside the Senate on Wednesday, approximately 500 riot police faced off against around 250 protesters who demanded Dela Rosa's arrest and transfer to the ICC.
These individuals referred to him as the “architect” of Duterte's drug war, which, according to human rights monitors, led to thousands of deaths, primarily among drug users and low-level narcotics peddlers.
Dela Rosa served as police chief from 2016 to 2018, during the initial two years of Duterte's presidency.
Duterte himself was arrested in March last year, immediately transferred to the Netherlands, and is currently detained in The Hague, awaiting trial.
Following his unexpected re-emergence on Monday to participate in a vote that helped pro-Duterte forces gain control over the Senate, Dela Rosa has not been seen publicly since November.
The new Senate leadership stated they would only allow for his arrest if it were ordered by a Philippine court.
A Marcos spokesperson confirmed that the president does not intend to interfere with the Senate's decisions.
The Supreme Court has yet to address Dela Rosa's petition seeking to halt Manila's enforcement of the ICC arrest warrant.
