Vice President Sara Duterte has questioned the attempted arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa based on an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. In an interview in The Hague, VP Sara stated that any arrest warrant from a foreign country must first be presented to a Philippine court before it can be served.
“That is wrong. Just like what they did to former President Rodrigo Duterte, that was also wrong,” Duterte said. She added that a warrant not issued by a Philippine court must undergo the local judicial process.
It can be recalled that former President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in March 2025 based on an ICC warrant related to his administration’s war on drugs campaign.
Meanwhile, Senator dela Rosa reappeared in the Senate on Monday after a six-month absence from sessions. Upon his return, operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) reportedly attempted to serve him the ICC arrest warrant. The warrant against dela Rosa was initially issued as “secret” on November 6, 2025, and is linked to killings during the previous administration’s war on drugs campaign. Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police at that time, and prosecutors believe he was involved in implementing the drug war.
The Senate was temporarily placed on lockdown as NBI agents tried to approach dela Rosa. In response, his camp filed a manifestation for immediate judicial protection with the Supreme Court.
According to new Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, Senator dela Rosa would not be arrested on Monday evening after he spoke with NBI Director Melvin Matibag. Cayetano stated that the Senate’s position is that the issue of arrest must first go through Philippine courts before the warrant is enforced.
Meanwhile, Duterte declined to comment on the change in Senate leadership that resulted in the ouster of former Senate President Vicente Sotto III.
