Senator Ronald Dela Rosa resurfaced publicly on his 64th birthday, saying that justice must be pursued “here on our shores, in our courts,” amid reports that the International Criminal Court had issued a warrant for his arrest in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
In a post on his Facebook account, Dela Rosa addressed speculation surrounding his prolonged absence from Senate sessions—an issue that had put Senate leaders, including Vicente Sotto III, under scrutiny as critics questioned why no disciplinary action had been taken.
Dela Rosa said he was “alive and well” and waiting for what he described as genuine justice, rejecting what he called foreign interference. He said that if cases were filed against him, he would only face them as a Filipino before Filipino courts, arguing that submitting to foreign arrest and trial would undermine the country’s sovereignty and the sacrifices made by national heroes and soldiers.
He described his stance as an act of patriotism and said he remained calm, patient, and dignified. Turning his remarks toward critics who support ICC action, Dela Rosa questioned why some Filipinos were eager to surrender a fellow citizen to foreign authorities, calling on them to reflect on issues of national pride and sovereignty.
The senator thanked supporters who had sent birthday greetings and messages of prayer, saying their backing gave him strength. He said his birthday wish was for the Philippines to be restored to what he called “true nationhood,” where justice is decided domestically and Filipinos stand proudly on their own institutions.
Dela Rosa is believed to be among the key figures targeted by the ICC over the drug war launched under former president Rodrigo Duterte, who has been detained by the court since March 11, 2025. Dela Rosa faces potential charges of crimes against humanity linked to thousands of deaths during the campaign against illegal drugs between 2016 and 2019, when he served as chief of the Philippine National Police and was widely seen as the operation’s primary enforce.
