Philippine Justice Secretary Freddie Vida ordered law enforcement to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity, a day after the Supreme Court refused to block his apprehension.
Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa, former police chief and a key enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody 'war on drugs' from 2016 to 2022, will be hunted down, and anyone assisting him to avoid arrest will 'face consequences,' Vida said Thursday.
'Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice. We are pursuing this so that justice is served,' he said at a news conference.
Vida did not specify what leads authorities have on dela Rosa's whereabouts, though the senator's lawyers said earlier this week that he is in the Philippines.
Dela Rosa emerged from hiding after six months last week and took shelter in the Senate for several days before slipping away early on May 14, after a chaotic night with gunfire and appeals for help, claiming his arrest was imminent.
Dela Rosa was Duterte's top enforcer in the brutal crackdown, where thousands of suspected drug dealers were shot dead in police operations. At the peak of the campaign, drug-related killings soared, with police blaming the deaths on turf wars.
The ICC estimates 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed from 2016 to 2019 during Duterte's 'war on drugs.'
Dela Rosa denies instigating or being involved in any unlawful killings during this period.
Duterte also faces charges of crimes against humanity and has been detained at the ICC in The Hague since March 2025. He maintains his innocence.
Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez said Thursday the PNP has noted the Justice Department's directive and will perform its duty according to law, but did not directly say it would arrest dela Rosa.
'The PNP also assures the public that every action taken shall always be fair, professional, and within the bounds of the law, with full respect for the constitutional rights of all parties involved,' Nartatez said in a statement.
