Philippines vows to hand fugitive senator to ICC following shootout
Key takeaways
- Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa wanted for alleged role as top enforcer in ex-president Duterte’s deadly drug war.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo SWAT members stand outside the Philippine Senate in Manila, Philippines, May 13, 2026.
- Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said on Friday that Manila had received the court’s arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the country’s former national police chief, and considers it valid.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa wanted for alleged role as top enforcer in ex-president Duterte’s deadly drug war.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo SWAT members stand outside the Philippine Senate in Manila, Philippines, May 13, 2026. [Noel Celis/Reuters]By AFP and Reuters Published On 15 May 202615 May 2026The Philippines has pledged to cooperate with a request from the International Criminal Court (ICC) to detain a prominent politician who evaded arrest earlier this week as he fled the Senate building despite efforts by the army to arrest him and reports of gunfire.
Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said on Friday that Manila had received the court’s arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the country’s former national police chief, and considers it valid.