The International Criminal Court said Saturday that no public arrest warrant has been issued in relation to its investigation into the Philippines’ war on drugs, amid reports claiming that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was facing imminent arrest.
“No public arrest warrants have been issued in relation to the situation in the Philippines,” ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet told reporters in a text message.
Maillet declined to confirm whether prosecutors had applied for a warrant against Dela Rosa or whether a sealed warrant exists, according to the Philippine News Agency.
“We cannot speculate on these matters or on any confidential information,” she said.
The clarification came after media reports, citing anonymous sources, claimed that the ICC had issued a warrant against Dela Rosa and informed the International Criminal Police Organization, or Interpol.
Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief and chief implementer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, was previously identified by the ICC Office of the Prosecutor as among the alleged co-perpetrators in killings linked to the drug war.
In a Feb. 13 court filing, ICC Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang said Duterte and the alleged co-perpetrators “shared a common plan or agreement to neutralize alleged criminals in the Philippines” through “violent crimes, including murder.”
Human rights group International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines said the developments indicated the ICC case was advancing.
Peter Murphy, chairperson of the group, urged Philippine authorities “to act on any warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa,” said Peter Murphy, chairperson of the group.
While acknowledging the ICC clarification, ICHRP said reports surrounding the alleged arrest order remained “a positive indicator that the ICC is moving forward on the case.”
