SENATOR Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa broke down in tears and became visibly emotional as he spoke to reporters outside his office at the Senate building in Pasay City on Tuesday, May 12.
In a heartfelt appeal, he directly called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., pleading: “Sana ‘wag niya akong ipadala sa The Hague” — expressing his deep hope that the Chief Executive would not allow him to be turned over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face trial.
His emotional plea came just one day after the ICC officially confirmed it had issued an arrest warrant against him, naming him as one of the “co‑perpetrators” alongside detained former President Rodrigo Duterte in cases involving alleged crimes against humanity.
The confirmation from the ICC marks a major turning point in the long‑running legal battle surrounding the previous administration’s anti‑drug campaign.
Dela Rosa, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police during the height of the crackdown, has long maintained that he acted within the law and had nothing to regret.
However, with the warrant now officially acknowledged by the international body, the pressure on both the senator and the Philippine government has intensified. The ICC’s move classifies him as a key figure in the alleged systematic campaign of violence, putting him at risk of being transferred to The Hague to stand trial if local authorities cooperate with the court’s orders.
Adding to his legal troubles, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has formally summoned Dela Rosa to appear before Lieutenant Colonel Jerome Bargamento of the Major Crimes Investigation Unit at Camp Crame in Quezon City this coming Thursday, May 14, 2026.
The order carries a serious warning: failure to attend without a valid and acceptable reason will result in charges for indirect contempt. Faced with both domestic legal requirements and international arrest proceedings,
Dela Rosa now finds himself caught between two fronts — appealing to the President for protection while preparing to respond to local authorities, as uncertainty over his fate continues to grow.
