DILG says no ICC red notice issued vs Bato Dela Rosa

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) clarified that no “red notice” has been issued against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in connection with an alleged arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“The Center for Transnational Crimes has not received any red notice against Senator Ronald Dela Rosa. At present, there is no actionable document for the Department to respond to,” the DILG said in a statement on Sunday.

The agency added that its attention is currently on ongoing recovery operations in Cebu and preemptive measures in preparation for the impact of Typhoon Uwan.

Earlier, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed in a radio interview that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, linked to its investigation into crimes against humanity during the implementation of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it is still verifying the information provided by Remulla.

Likewise, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in The Hague confirmed they have not received any warrant of arrest or related documents from the ICC, nor has any such document been uploaded to the ICC’s online portal.

Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and chief implementer of Duterte’s controversial drug war, has been identified as a primary respondent in the ICC’s ongoing probe into the killing of over 6,000 suspected drug personalities during the former administration’s crackdown on illegal drugs.

In March, Duterte himself was arrested under an ICC warrant and transported to The Hague, where he is currently detained at the Hague Penitentiary Institution, also known as Scheveningen Prison.