Senator Dela Rosa Evades ICC Warrant, Exits Senate Via Fire Exit After Gunfire

Senator dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police, is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity tied to Rodrigo Duterte’s anti‑drug campaign, during which over six thousand people were killed according to government data. He had avoided capture for months after reports of an imminent arrest surfaced in November. On Monday he appeared in the senate chamber to support a Duterte‑aligned candidate for senate president, a move that placed him under the protective custody of the newly elected senate president, Alan Peter Cayetano. For three nights he stayed in a senator’s office, livestreaming rallies, giving interviews, and leading supporters in a military hymn while security forces sealed exits and monitored entrances. The standoff ended after an exchange of gunfire inside the building, prompting reporters to take cover.

Dela Rosa informed his guards he was going to the toilet, then exited through a fire exit and drove away in an SUV with a fellow Duterte‑aligned senator. He later remarked that the room where he stayed offered better accommodations and more food than his usual quarters. The ICC warrant for crimes against humanity remains active, and authorities have not confirmed his present location.

The escape casts doubt on the senate’s ability to detain a high‑profile figure despite declared protective custody, raising questions about internal security protocols. It also underscores the tense rivalry between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Duterte faction, as Marcos seeks to avoid a repeat of the approval‑rating decline that followed his father’s transfer to the ICC. Sara Duterte’s allies have consolidated their influence in the senate, which could affect the upcoming impeachment trial against her. Political analysts warn that the episode may further weaken public confidence in state institutions and encourage similar defiance by other figures facing legal scrutiny.