ICC issues arrest warrant for ally of Philippine ex-President Duterte

The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Philippine Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who oversaw then-President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, the nation's ombudsman said on Saturday, although the ICC denied the assertion.



Duterte, in office from 2016 to 2022, was arrested and taken to The Hague in March on a warrant linking him to murders committed during his war on drugs, in which thousands of alleged narcotics peddlers and users were killed.



Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla told Reuters in a text message that the information about Dela Rosa's warrant had been relayed to him by the officer-in-charge of the Department of Justice.



Asked for comment, DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez said the ministry was still verifying the information.



"We have not yet received a copy of said arrest warrant. We shall provide further details as soon as it becomes available," Martinez said in a text message.