Philippine Court Refuses to Block Arrest of Duterte's Ex-Police Chief Wanted by ICC

(CNA Manila, 20th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The Philippine Supreme Court today refused to block the arrest of former police chief and current senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for allegedly committing "crimes against humanity" during former President Duterte's war on drugs. According to Agence France-Presse, this provisional ruling paves the way for the arrest of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa. Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, was the primary enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's iron-fisted war on drugs. The Philippine Supreme Court stated in a release: "The Supreme Court, by a vote of 9 against, 5 in favor, and 1 abstention, dismissed Senator Dela Rosa's petition for a temporary restraining order and/or a status quo ante order." The ICC made public an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa last week, charging him, along with Duterte and other "co-perpetrators," with "crimes against humanity." On the 13th, government law enforcement officers attempted to arrest Dela Rosa but were blocked by pro-Duterte Senate leaders who provided him with sanctuary. After a shooting incident between law enforcement and Senate security, Dela Rosa left the Senate for an unknown location. Duterte was arrested last year and is currently awaiting trial by the ICC in The Hague. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos's spokesperson, Claire Castro, told reporters, "As it stands, we can say that the arrest warrant for Senator Dela Rosa is valid." Dela Rosa served as police chief from 2016 to 2018 during the initial phase of Duterte's anti-drug campaign. After retiring from the police force, Dela Rosa was elected as a senator for a six-year term in 2019 and was subsequently re-elected.