ASEANEWS HEADLINE–DU30 ICC EJK TRIAL | DELA ROSA CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS NBI expects more ICC arrest warrants soon

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau had received information indicating that additional warrants may be issued in the coming days in connection with ongoing ICC proceedings involving alleged crimes against humanity.

“We have information that there are several who may be issued arrest warrants,” Matibag said during the news forum.

He added that authorities would act regardless of the identities of those named in the warrants.

“It doesn’t matter who it is or what crime is involved. As long as there is a warrant, we have a protocol. So if an additional arrest warrant comes out, we are always ready to enforce and serve it,” he said.

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Matibag said the NBI would not disclose further details on possible targets, citing operational security.

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Dela Rosa armed, dangerous

Matibag said dela Rosa is being treated as “armed and dangerous,” a standard law enforcement classification for fugitives, particularly those with prior security or police experience.

“It is our standard protocol that when we are locating a fugitive from justice, our assumption is that he is armed and dangerous,” Matibag said.

He added that dela Rosa’s background as a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief may complicate efforts to track him.

“He knows how law enforcement works, so that is one of the concerns in our operation,” he said.

Despite this, Matibag said authorities remain confident that the law will be enforced.

“The law will catch up with you, and law enforcers will get you wherever you are,” he said.

He also urged dela Rosa to surrender and face the charges before the ICC.

No record of departure

Matibag said coordination with the Bureau of Immigration showed no record of dela Rosa leaving the country.

“Based on Bureau of Immigration records and monitored points of entry and exit, there is no record of his departure,” he said.

However, he acknowledged the difficulty of monitoring all possible exit points nationwide and said authorities continue to receive daily leads suggesting the senator remains in the Philippines.

The Department of Justice has previously described dela Rosa as a fugitive from justice.

Matibag also clarified that dela Rosa’s lawyer cannot receive the arrest warrant on the senator’s behalf.

“I think the lawyer might be thinking he can be the one to serve the warrant, but that is not how it works,” he said.

The NBI said it is also examining whether other individuals or groups may be assisting the senator in evading arrest.

Matibag warned that those who may be helping could face charges for obstruction of justice.

The bureau has deployed tracker teams and additional units to assist in locating dela Rosa.

Authorities have also urged the public to report any information on his whereabouts.

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Padilla urged to cooperate

“Without even law enforcement asking, I think as a responsible senator and citizen, he should help shed light on what happened,” Matibag said.

Dela Rosa is among individuals facing allegations tied to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign, during which he served as PNP chief from 2016 to 2018.

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The Supreme Court earlier rejected dela Rosa’s bid to block the enforcement of the ICC warrant, clearing the way for possible arrest actions by local authorities.

Surrender unlikely

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said dela Rosa is unlikely to voluntarily surrender to the ICC, as he appears to be banking on political developments that could prevent his possible turnover to the ICC, particularly if political allies regain influence in the coming years.

“For EJK (extrajudicial killing) victims, yes; for the Filipino people, yes. But for Sen. dela Rosa, that is not in his best interest,” Lacson said. “He is hiding, hoping that if Vice President Sara Duterte wins (the presidency in 2028), he will not surrender. Senator Bato plans to just wait three years, although he will remain an international fugitive. Since he will not be turned over, he can roam around the Philippines.”

The remarks came amid renewed public debate over accountability for thousands of deaths linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign, one of the most controversial law enforcement programs in recent Philippine history.

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Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police and chief implementer of the war on drugs during the early years of the Duterte administration, has repeatedly denied allegations that state forces systematically carried out extrajudicial killings during anti-drug operations.

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Human rights organizations, however, estimate that as many as 30,000 suspected drug pushers, addicts and civilians died during police operations and vigilante-style killings between 2016 and 2022.

The ICC investigation centers on allegations of crimes against humanity tied to the anti-drug campaign, including accusations that law enforcement personnel engaged in unlawful killings under a state-backed policy targeting suspected drug offenders.

Former president Rodrigo Duterte, who built his presidency on a hardline anti-crime platform, has long defended the campaign, insisting that police officers were only instructed to use force in self-defense.

Critics, however, argue that many victims were killed without due process and that accountability mechanisms within the country were inadequate.

Lacson, himself a former police chief and longtime lawmaker, said there appears to be an inconsistency in how authorities handled the situations involving Duterte and dela Rosa.

He pointed out that Duterte was reportedly transported directly to The Hague following his arrest, while no similar action has been taken against dela Rosa despite his alleged connection to the same ICC investigation.

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.“There is an inconsistency in the case of former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bato dela Rosa,” Lacson said. “In Duterte’s case, he was immediately flown to The Hague after his capture, while in the case of dela Rosa, he was not arrested.”

Legal analysts note that any potential arrest or surrender of dela Rosa would depend largely on the Philippine government’s level of cooperation with the ICC.

Although the Philippines officially withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 under Duterte’s administration, the tribunal has maintained that it retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the country was still a member of the treaty.

The administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sent mixed signals regarding cooperation with the ICC.

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While Malacañang has repeatedly stated that Philippine institutions remain functional and capable of addressing allegations domestically, some officials have also indicated that the government may comply with obligations through international police mechanisms if warranted.