ICC seeks arrest of Duterte ally over deadly Philippine drug war, ombudsman says
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The Philippine ombudsman said the International Criminal Court should formally request extradition.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa, over his suspected involvement in former president Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial war on drugs
ICC denied the assertion.
Duterte, in office from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March
“The ICC has issued a warrant against Senator dela Rosa,” Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told DZRH radio station on Nov 8. “This is an extraditable offence.”
Mr Remulla, who served as justice secretary before becoming ombudsman in October, added that the ICC should formally request extradition.
He told Reuters in a text message that the information about Mr dela Rosa’s warrant had been relayed to him by the officer-in-charge of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Asked for comment, DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the ministry was still verifying the information.
“We have not yet received a copy of said arrest warrant. We shall provide further details as soon as it becomes available,” the spokesperson said in a text message.
ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah, when asked whether there was an arrest warrant, said: “No. ICC news can be found only on ICC official communications channels and press releases.”
Mr dela Rosa, a former police chief, oversaw Duterte’s anti-narcotics campaign from 2016 to 2018 when he launched his Senate bid. He was re-elected in May, placing third in a nationwide race for 12 seats.
Duterte, detained in the Netherlands since March, awaits trial over alleged crimes against humanity tied to the drug war, which claimed thousands of lives.
Mr dela Rosa did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He and Duterte, who is in detention at The Hague, have petitioned the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to stop cooperating with the ICC.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s office has yet to independently verify the information about Mr dela Rosa’s warrant, executive secretary Lucas Bersamin told reporters.
A document containing the charges prosecutors want to bring against Duterte mentioned Mr dela Rosa, including statements he made as police chief.
In April, a month after Duterte’s arrest, Mr dela Rosa confirmed receiving communication from the ICC regarding the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug users and other individuals.
Duterte and his lawyers maintain his arrest was unlawful. In October, Duterte appealed against the ICC’s decision
