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ICC Drug War Death Estimates
Comparison of estimated death toll ranges during the 2016-2019 period.
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Philippine Supreme Court rejects bid to block arrest of senator wanted ...
The Philippine Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Senator Ronald dela Rosa for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court.
Philippines top court rejects bid to block arrest of senator wanted by ICC
Senator dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted by the ICC for his role in Duterte’s bloody ‘war on drugs’.The Philippine Supreme Court has refused to block the arrest of a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity.Senator Ronald dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted by the court in The Hague for his role in the country’s “war on drugs” during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Philippines vows to hand fugitive senator to ICC following shootoutlist 2 of 3Philippines launches VP Duterte impeachment trial amid political divisionlist 3 of 3Security guards face probe after last week’s Philippine Senate shootingend of listHe has denied involvement in illegal killings.“For now, we can say that the warrant of arrest is valid against Senator Bato dela Rosa,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s spokeswoman Claire Castro told reporters on Wednesday.Philippine authorities last week confirmed they were seeking to arrest dela Rosa, who had argued in a petition to the court that law enforcement had no legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by a foreign court.The interim ruling on Wednesday clears the way for the potential arrest of the senator, the latest turn in a dramatic story that has gripped the Philippines since early last week.Dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding last week and took refuge at the Senate for several days before fleeing in the early hours of Thursday after a shooting incident between government agents and Senate security personnel that sent senators rushing for cover in their offices.Dela Rosa’s lawyer said in a statement they will exhaust all legal remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration: “Today’s resolution is not a judgment on the merits. It is not a final ruling on the legality of enforcing an ICC process within Philippine territory.”Castro said the government will leave it to the Department of Justice to interpret the Supreme Court’s ruling. The court said that while the restraining order had been denied, other issues in the senator’s petition had yet to be addressed. Dela Rosa had argued the ICC warrant could not be enforced in the Philippines without a corresponding warrant from a local court.Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said last Friday that authorities will “definitely” seek to arrest dela Rosa and execute the ICC warrant.Dela Rosa, who at the time was chief of the National Polic...
Philippine court rejects senator's bid to block arrest
Ronald dela Rosa sought by International Criminal Court for role in deadly war on drugs PUBLISHED : 20 May 2026 at 14:25 Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa, the chief enforcer of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, takes a phone call during a session at the Senate in Pasay City, Metro Manila, on May 13, 2026. He subsequently fled the chamber and is still being sought on an International Criminal Court arrest warrant. (Photo: Reuters) MANILA - The Philippine Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a bid by Senator Ronald dela Rosa for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court.Dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted for alleged crimes against humanity over his role in a bloody “war on drugs” during the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte from 2016-22. He has denied involvement in illegal killings. Philippine authorities last week confirmed they were seeking to arrest the former police chief, who had argued in a petition to the court that law enforcement had no legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by a foreign court. The top court’s decision is the latest turn in a dramatic story that has gripped the Philippines since early last week and paves the way for his apprehension. Dela Rosa emerged from six months of hiding last week and took refuge at the Senate for several days, before slipping away in the early hours of May 14, after a night of chaos and gunfire following his appeal for help and claims that his arrest was imminent. The tough-talking dela Rosa was Duterte’s top enforcer of the bloody crackdown during which thousands of alleged drug dealers were shot dead in police operations. At the peak of the campaign, murders of drug users spiked dramatically, with police blaming those killings on vigilantes and turf wars. Rights groups say an accurate death toll may never be known and accuse police of systematic murders and cover-ups, which they deny, insisting those killed were armed and had resisted arrest. Duterte is currently in detention in The Hague after his arrest last year and will go on trial charged with crimes against humanity. He maintains his innocence. Dela Rosa’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The court said that while the restraining order had been denied, other issues in the senator’s petition had yet to be addressed. Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said last Friday that authorities would “definitely” se...
Philippine Court Rejects ICC-Wanted Senator's Bid to Stop Arrest
May 20, 2026 at 6:23 AM UTCUpdated on May 20, 2026 at 11:14 AM UTCThe Philippines’ Supreme Court on Wednesday denied a petition by a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court to stop his arrest, a move that may set off a manhunt for the missing lawmaker at the center of the nation’s political crisis.Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, a former police officer who led ex-President Rodrigo Duterte’s crackdown against illegal drugs, had asked the court to halt his arrest over alleged crimes against humanity without a Philippine court-issued warrant.
