Newly installed Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has confirmed that the police force is quietly preparing for possible scenarios should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue an arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
“We are also making contingencies where if something like that happens, this is what we will do,” Torre said during a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday, following his assumption of command. However, he declined to provide specifics, saying, “It’s just not proper to discuss it at the moment. It’s really something that has to be acted upon once it’s there. We’ll make decisions as they come.”
Torre’s statement came amid ongoing scrutiny over the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, which left thousands of suspects dead in police operations. Torre notably served as the ground commander during the controversial turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the ICC in The Hague last March.
Senator Dela Rosa, who served as the first PNP chief under Duterte from 2016 to 2018, has long been associated with the aggressive anti-drug campaign. Human rights groups and ICC representatives have pointed to his central role, with ICC assistant to counsel Kristina Conti earlier naming Dela Rosa and his successor Oscar Albayalde as possible next subjects of arrest warrants for their involvement.
The ICC is investigating allegations of crimes against humanity related to the drug war killings, a move Philippine officials continue to resist.
