No more excuses: Enforce ICC warrant vs. Bato dela Rosa now — KARAPATAN
KARAPATAN Public Information
For immediate release
PRESS RELEASE
May 20, 2026
Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
No more excuses: Enforce ICC warrant vs. Bato dela Rosa now — KARAPATAN
Human rights alliance KARAPATAN said that with the Supreme Court not issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) in favor of senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, no more excuses are left to further delay the enforcement of the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s warrant against an international fugitive who is one of the principal architects of the Duterte administration’s bloody “war on drugs.”
“The absence of a TRO removes any pretext for government inaction. The Marcos Jr. administration must immediately enforce the ICC warrant against Bato dela Rosa in accordance with the Philippines’ obligations under Republic Act No. 9851,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay.
RA 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity, affirms the country’s commitment to accountability for grave international crimes, including crimes against humanity, including jurisdiction of international tribunals investigating or prosecuting such crimes.
“It is long overdue for Duterte, Bato dela Rosa, and all officials responsible for the brutal drug war to be made fully accountable for their actions. It is a grave insult to the Filipino people that those responsible for these crimes continue to deceive the public, wield power, evade accountability, and invoke due process for themselves when they denied the very same rights to thousands of Filipinos who were summarily killed in the drug war,” Palabay said.
KARAPATAN also criticized the appointment of Sen. Rodante Marcoleta as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.
“Marcoleta, one of the defenders of Duterte’s bloody policies, is one of the last people who deserve a position tasked with delivering justice and protecting human rights. His appointment is garbage, aimed at only ensuring protection to perpetrators of rights violations, like what they did to Bato, exactly a week ago,” Palabay said.
The group stressed that this makes ICC proceedings remain a vital avenue for justice for thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings and called on Philippine authorities to fully cooperate in ensuring the arrest and surrender of dela Rosa.
“The Filipino people will continue to demand accountability from all those responsible for crimes against humanity under the Duterte regime. The day of reckoning for the likes of Bato dela Rosa will definitely come, and this should be now,” Palabay ended.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.