The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Saturday it is still verifying reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who served as Philippine National Police chief during the early years of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. The claim was first mentioned by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, a former justice secretary, during a radio interview. However, DOJ spokesperson Mico Polo Martinez clarified that the department has “not yet seen or received a copy of the said arrest warrant.” “The DOJ is working to verify this information and will provide details as soon as they are available,” Martinez said. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, the ombudsman’s brother, also said that no red notice has been issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) against Dela Rosa. “As per the Center for Transnational Crimes, there has been no red notice issued by Interpol as of 10 minutes ago,” he told local media. Lawyer Maria Kristina Conti, who represents families of drug war victims and serves as assistant to counsel at the ICC, said they could not confirm any development that the Court has not made public. Official figures show that more than 7,000 drug suspects were killed in police operations during the Duterte administration’s anti-narcotics campaign, which Dela Rosa led as PNP chief.
