VP Duterte: ICC cannot arrest Bato without local court approval

Vice President Sara Duterte criticized attempts to restrict movement inside the Senate to facilitate the serving of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Speaking to an interview in The Hague, Duterte was asked to comment on the Senate leadership change and claims that security personnel were preparing to “lock down” the chamber to apprehend dela Rosa.

Duterte responded by emphasizing the legal limits of enforcing ICC directives in the country.

“Mali din ’yun,” she said. “Dahil ang isang warrant of arrest galing sa labas ng Pilipinas, hindi issued by a Philippine court, should be presented in a Philippine court.”

Senator dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police and a key architect of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, is among those named in an ICC arrest warrant unsealed this week. 

The warrant stems from allegations of crimes against humanity of murder over drug-war killings, with prosecutors citing at least 32 specific deaths under his watch between July 2016 and April 2018.

Dela Rosa’s camp had petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court for an urgent Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to prohibit any "arrest, detention, turnover, transfer, rendition, or surrender" of the senator without a "valid Philippine judicial warrant."

When asked about the change in Senate leadership, Duterte said she respects the autonomy of the chamber and emphasized that the outcome reflects the majority decision of its members.

“Wala naman kasi—kung ano ang liberato sa loob ng Senado, ayun na ang desisyon ng ating senators. Kung ano ’yung kalabasan ng kanilang botohan, desisyon ’yun ng karamihan ng mga miyembro,” she said.

On Monday, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano ousted Vicente Sotto III as Senate President in a 13-9 vote. 

Amid the transition, the Senate was placed on lockdown after NBI agents reportedly chased Dela Rosa through the building. In response, the Senate cited the agents in contempt and placed Dela Rosa under protective custody.

The Vice President also said her discussion with former president Rodrigo Duterte was largely personal and that he remains updated on domestic affairs.

“Okay lang siya… Nabalitaan ko siya sa mga nangyari sa Pilipinas paliba na lang doon sa may kinalaman sa ICC,” she said.

###