To stay ahead of a possible International Criminal Court order to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has enlisted local authorities to monitor the senator's whereabouts. The move follows reports of an ICC arrest warrant. Dela Rosa served as the first Philippine National Police chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte and enforced his war on drugs.
DILG Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Communications Donnie Puno stated that involving local officials would aid the government in tracking Dela Rosa's movements. "It would help the government if officials at the local level are also monitoring Dela Rosa’s movements," Puno said. Despite reports of an ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, no official announcement has been made, and the senator is not yet considered a fugitive.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla reported that they have tracked Dela Rosa to six locations over the past three weeks and are aware of his current position. His brother, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, confirmed the existence of an arrest warrant but noted the ICC's lack of formal notification.
Since the warrant reports emerged on November 11, Dela Rosa has missed Senate sessions. He gained prominence as Duterte’s initial PNP chief, overseeing a drug war that resulted in thousands of deaths from alleged encounters and extrajudicial killings.
Attention now turns to whether Dela Rosa will join today's bicameral conference committee meetings on the 2026 national budget, given his role as vice chair of the Senate finance committee. Senate Finance Committee Chair Sherwin Gatchalian expressed hope for his attendance, as Dela Rosa has not resigned. "He did not resign as Senate finance vice chair. Unless he resigns, the rule is a vice chair is automatically a conferee," Gatchalian said.
