Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator sought by ICC

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MANILA: The Philippine government on Thursday (May 21) ordered police to arrest a senator wanted by the International Criminal Court over his role in ex-president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly drug crackdown.

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who served as the nation's police chief, was the enforcer of the drug war that killed thousands of people in the Philippines.

Dela Rosa is on the run after fleeing the Senate building last week, hours after a shooting incident between government agents and Senate security personnel.

"I would like to confirm that the Philippine law enforcement agencies ... are now tasked to effect the arrest of Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa," Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida told reporters.

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The ICC last week unsealed an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, accused along with Duterte and other "co-perpetrators" of the crime against humanity of murder.

After a dramatic chase up the Senate stairs on the same day, government agents who failed to arrest him later paused the effort as the Senate leadership gave him sanctuary.

The Philippine Supreme Court's interim ruling on Wednesday denying the Philippine ex-police chief's bid for a temporary restraining order means the ICC warrant can now be enforced, Vida added.

"We're pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved," Vida added, warning that "there are consequences" to anyone who would try to help Dela Rosa avoid arrest.

His lawyer said Wednesday he will appeal the Supreme Court ruling.

Former president Duterte was arrested last year and is awaiting trial by the ICC in The Hague on charges stemming from the drug crackdown.

The drug war left thousands of people dead, mostly drug users and low-level traffickers from urban slums according to human rights monitors.

Philippine police say more than 6,000 drug suspects were killed in legitimate police operations during the Duterte presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Dela Rosa served as national police chief from 2016 to 2018 during the early phase of Duterte's anti-drug campaign and was elected to two successive six-year terms in the Senate after retiring from the force.

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