Philippine leader Duterte's drug war enforcer escapes ICC arrest
BBC • • general
Key Points:
- The Philippine Senate was locked down after military personnel entered the building where Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC), had sought refuge; rounds of gunfire were heard but no casualties reported.
- Senator Dela Rosa, accused by the ICC of involvement in killings during former President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, had previously warned of his imminent arrest, but his current whereabouts remain unclear.
- Police commandos and anti-riot officers surrounded the Senate building amid protests demanding Dela Rosa's detention and trial alongside Duterte, who has been held at The Hague since March 2025.
- Senate Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano emphasized that authorities were there to protect Dela Rosa, not arrest him, and called on the public to submit any videos that could assist the investigation.
- Duterte has rejected ICC proceedings, citing the Philippines' 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute, but the ICC ruled that alleged crimes occurred while the country was still a member, allowing the trial to proceed.