The International Criminal Court has revealed an arrest warrant for a well-known Philippine senator associated with the violent war on drugs managed by former president Rodrigo Duterte. The warrant accuses Ronald Marapon dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine national police and an ally of Duterte, of committing murder as a crime against humanity involving at least 32 individuals between July 2016 and April 2018.
Although Duterte, dela Rosa, and other police officials have denied ordering the killings of drug suspects, claiming the suspects were shot in self-defense, the ICC warrant stated that dela Rosa played a significant role in the murders as an indirect co-perpetrator.
Recently, dela Rosa made a surprise appearance at the Philippines Senate amid a new investigation into the alleged extrajudicial killings. During his Senate entrance, National Bureau of Investigation officers attempted to approach him but failed as he swiftly sought refuge among fellow senators in the plenary hall.
The former Philippine senator Antonio Trillanes presented the warrant to the media in Manila, which was later confirmed by the ICC. Dela Rosa, who previously served as the national police chief under Duterte, was instrumental in enforcing the brutal anti-drug campaign that resulted in the deaths of numerous suspects.
As part of an ongoing probe into his involvement in the killings during the Duterte administration, Philippine police officials have summoned dela Rosa for questioning. Maria Elena Vignoli, a senior international justice counsel at Human Rights Watch, hailed the arrest warrant as a step towards breaking down the shield of impunity shielding those responsible for alleged atrocities during the Philippines’ deadly drug war.
Duterte, who was arrested in March last year and is currently detained in the Netherlands on charges of crimes against humanity, continues to refute the accusations. The killings of impoverished drug suspects occurred mainly when Duterte was the mayor of Davao in the Philippines and after he assumed the presidency in 2016, drawing condemnation from human rights organizations and Western nations, including the United States.
