MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte confirmed on Tuesday, November 11, that she has offered to assist Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in light of unconfirmed reports circulating about the International Criminal Court (ICC) allegedly issuing an arrest warrant for the former national police chief.

Duterte told reporters that she reached out to Senator Dela Rosa and his son, Rocky, after learning of the rumors concerning her political ally.

Pre-emptive Advice and Expert Recommendation

 

The Vice President revealed that she had advised Dela Rosa to prepare for the ICC case as early as April of this year.

“As early as April of this year, I told Sen. Bato Dela Rosa to prepare for whatever happens in the ICC case,” she stated.

Duterte specifically advised the senator to secure specialized legal counsel with experience in international law and the ICC. She went on to disclose that she had a specific recommendation in mind:

“I told him… I have someone I can recommend to him, a British counsel based in England, an international law expert,” Duterte said.

 

ICC Status and Government Stance

 

The ICC has not confirmed the reports of an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa. Spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah reiterated yesterday that official updates can only be verified through the court’s communication channels and press releases. He also clarified that only one case has been officially opened to date, which is against former President Rodrigo Duterte.

For her part, VP Duterte declined to comment on the arrest warrant itself, citing its absence from the ICC’s public records. She also clarified that she is not a member of Dela Rosa’s PDP-Laban party, and therefore could not speak on the party’s official position.

Despite the lack of official confirmation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has stated that the Philippine government would comply with a potential international arrest warrant against Dela Rosa if such a request were made through Interpol channels.

 

The Hague Developments

 

The news comes as several members of the Duterte family are already making moves related to the ICC issue. Representative Paolo Duterte (Davao City, 1st District) is currently in The Hague, and his son, Representative Omar Duterte (Davao City, 2nd District), is scheduled to join him soon. The Vice President noted that her own visit to The Hague has no set date yet.

Senator Dela Rosa served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief from 2016 to 2018, overseeing the initial implementation of the previous administration’s controversial drug war, which is the subject of the ICC investigation into alleged crimes against humanity.

 

New ICC Rules on Secrecy

 

Compounding the uncertainty are the ICC’s newly amended court regulations, which took effect yesterday. The changes now mandate that all applications for arrest warrants be classified as either “under seal” or “secret.” According to Kristina Conti, an ICC assistant to counsel, this strongly implies that whether a warrant has been issued or is pending, it is most likely not intended to be publicly disclosed at this time.