Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon on Monday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have yet to receive any arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Asked if such a warrant had reached the DOJ, Fadullon responded: “No we haven't."

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, in a separate message, also said the DILG had not received any official document or instruction related to the implementation of the supposed arrest warrant.

Their statements came after former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque claimed over the weekend that an ICC warrant of arrest for Dela Rosa was already out.

“Sen Bato, your warrant of arrest is out! Hwag ka pa- kidnap! Insist that you have the right to be brought before a Philippine Court first!” Roque said in a social media post.

Fadullon said Roque’s statements have yet to be verified.

He noted that monitoring Dela Rosa’s whereabouts is the task of law enforcement and intelligence operatives, not the DOJ.
“Upon what information Harry Roque bases his claims is beyond us and requires validation," he added.

For his part, Remulla said: “Maybe Harry Roque knows more than I do. I will only confirm when I see the actual document."

Dela Rosa has not attended any Senate session since November 11. His absence began after the Ombudsman said the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest against him over the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

During the Duterte administration, Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police and was the main implementer of the anti-illegal drugs campaign.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained at The Hague in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity following his arrest through a warrant also issued by the ICC.