The Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court welcomes the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I to unseal the warrant of arrest against Mr Ronald Marapon Dela Rosa, a suspect in the Situation in the Philippines.
The warrant of arrest, which has been conveyed to the relevant authorities in the Republic of the Philippines, was originally issued as secret on 6 November 2025, following an application by the Office on 3 November 2025, but has only now become public, following changes in the circumstances.
Based on evidence presented by the OTP, the Chamber found there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Dela Rosa, a former Davao City Police Director and subsequently chief of the Philippine National Police ("PNP"), is responsible for the crime against humanity of murder (article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute), through his involvement in a common plan that lasted from approximately 1 November 2011 until 16 March 2019 to kill alleged victims in the Philippines.
The Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Dela Rosa is responsible, jointly with other co-perpetrators, including former President Duterte, for murders in the Philippines, between at least 3 July 2016 until the end of April 2018. The Chamber expressly noted that these murders are a sample that represent a potentially broader pattern of conduct and the OTP may seek to add further alleged criminal incidents at a later stage.
Mr Dela Rosa's warrant of arrest is an important step in the Office's ongoing pursuit of accountability for alleged crimes committed in the context of the so-called "war on drugs" campaign in the Philippines.
The Office will continue to work closely with the Registry and all relevant stakeholders to facilitate the execution of the warrant.
The Office takes this opportunity to renew its appeal for direct witnesses to alleged crimes committed in the context of the so-called "war on drugs" campaign, in particular former and present members of the PNP, to come forward and provide information via the Office's Witness Appeal portal.
More information:
Witness Appeal: Situation in the Republic of the Philippines
