By Cong B. Corrales
Editor-in-Chief, and Ben Balce
Associate Editor

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — International human rights groups and a nationwide labor coalition are calling for the immediate surrender of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a tense standoff at the Senate that critics say exposed a growing “wall of impunity.”

The calls intensified Tuesday after the Senate was placed under lockdown Monday to prevent National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents from serving an unsealed ICC arrest warrant on dela Rosa.

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The warrant, reportedly issued in November 2025 and unsealed on May 11, 2026, cites crimes against humanity — specifically murder and attempted murder — linked to the government’s controversial “war on drugs” during dela Rosa’s term as Philippine National Police chief and his earlier stint as Davao City police chief.

‘Senate is not a safehouse’

The Nagkaisa Labor Coalition, led by chairperson Atty. Sonny Matula, condemned the Senate’s move to place dela Rosa under “protective custody” while detaining NBI agents for contempt.

“Nakakahiya ang Senado. Napakababa ng standards. Hindi ito statesmanship. Mukhang save-a-friendship or save political allies,” Matula said.

He warned that the institution was being misused for political protection.

“Ang Senado ay hindi dapat maging parking lot ng political protection. Dapat itong maging hall of accountability,” he added.

HRW: ‘Blow to impunity’

Maria Elena Vignoli of Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Philippine authorities must immediately surrender dela Rosa to The Hague, drawing parallels to the March 2025 arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“The ICC arrest warrant against Senator Ronald dela Rosa is another blow to the wall of impunity protecting those who allegedly committed atrocities during the Philippines’ murderous ‘drug war,’” Vignoli said in an emailed statement on May 12.

Amnesty PH: ‘Justice must prevail’

Amnesty International Philippines (AI-PH) Section Director Ritz Lee Santos III stressed that dela Rosa’s position in the Senate should not shield him from accountability.

“Dela Rosa’s current position as senator should not shield him from facing charges at the ICC. It is imperative that, regardless of politics, the process of justice prevails,” Santos said in a separate statement.

Santos also cited dela Rosa’s command responsibility during the anti-drug campaign and his earlier role in Davao City, where Duterte allegedly oversaw the so-called “Davao Death Squad.”

He added that dela Rosa’s reported inclusion on the ICC wanted list heightens the urgency for his surrender.

Legal and local implications

The ICC warrant reportedly covers the killing of 32 individuals between 2016 and 2018. Legal experts, citing the Supreme Court ruling in Pangilinan v. Cayetano, argue that the Philippines remains bound by obligations incurred during its ICC membership.

For communities in Mindanao, particularly in Davao and Cagayan de Oro, the confrontation has reignited debate over whether political alliances can override international treaty obligations under the 1987 Constitution.