Philippines orders arrest of fugitive senator wanted by ICC

Key points

• The Philippine justice secretary has ordered law enforcement to apprehend a senator wanted by ⁠the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, a day after the country’s top court rejected his bid to block his arrest.
• Senator ⁠Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the former police chief and lead enforcer in the deadly so-called “war on drugs” during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency, would be tracked down and anyone helping him evade arrest would “face consequences”, Fredderick Vida said on Thursday.
• “Senator Bato is a fugitive from justice.
• We’re pursuing this so that the ends of justice may be achieved,” he told a news conference.
• Vida did not elaborate on the leads authorities have on the location of dela Rosa, though the senator’s lawyers indicated this week he was in the Philippines.