Philippines Summons Ronald dela Rosa in 2026 Killings Probe as Duterte Faces ICC Trial
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
Philippines Summons Ronald dela Rosa in 2026 Killings Probe as Duterte Faces ICC Trial
2 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 11
Ronald dela Rosa, a senator and former national police chief, will be summoned Monday in a new Philippine investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings during Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. said dela Rosa had never been personally investigated and called him the “tip of the spear,” making his case the starting point for tracing accountability through police ranks.
Thousands of mostly poor drug suspects were killed in Davao and nationwide after Duterte took office in 2016; a 2024 congressional inquiry recommended criminal charges against Duterte and key police officials.
Duterte, 81, was arrested in March 2025 and taken to the Netherlands for an ICC crimes-against-humanity trial, but Remulla said the Philippine probe is separate; airports, seaports and airlines have been alerted.
As Duterte's top enforcer is targeted, which other high-ranking officials from the brutal 'drug war' could be next?
With the ICC closing in, is the Philippines' new probe a genuine move for justice or a political gambit?
Senator Bato Dela Rosa Faces ICC Arrest Warrant, Domestic Probe, and Senate Crisis Amid Duterte Drug War Fallout
Overview
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa is at the center of a major crisis, facing persistent reports of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant and a domestic investigation by the Philippine National Police-CIDG. These developments, along with scrutiny over his absences from Senate sessions, have intensified pressure on him. The situation escalated after reports on May 9, 2026, alleged that the ICC had issued a warrant naming Dela Rosa as a co-perpetrator with former President Duterte, though the ICC denied any public warrant. Together, these events have created a complex legal and political challenge for the senator.