The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued subpoenas to several government institutions as part of its expanding investigation into the enforcement of the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, according to a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on May 26, 2026.
The subpoenas were sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Bureau of Immigration (BI), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), among others, to gather documents and information related to the ICC's warrant. The DOJ is looking into whether any government officials or agencies facilitated or obstructed the warrant's implementation.
Senator dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief under the Duterte administration, is facing charges at the ICC for crimes against humanity linked to the government's war on drugs. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for dela Rosa in March 2025, but the Philippine government has not cooperated with the court, citing the country's withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019.
The DOJ's probe is seen as a move to clarify the legal and procedural issues surrounding the warrant, though the Philippine government maintains its position that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the country. The investigation is ongoing, and no arrests have been made as of this report.
