MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued a stern warning against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, stating that he will be ordered arrested the moment he attempts to flee the country. Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida announced that border control authorities have been given specific instructions to apprehend the lawmaker, who is now considered an international fugitive.
The directive follows Dela Rosa’s pre-dawn departure from the Senate complex on Thursday, May 14, where he had been holed up under the chamber’s “protective custody” to evade an active warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Because the legal battles surrounding the international warrant are still actively playing out locally, the DOJ has implemented a strategic fallback to secure the country’s borders:
- The ILBO Activation: The DOJ has officially placed the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief under an Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO).
- The Conditional Arrest: While an ILBO does not automatically block an individual from leaving the country (unlike a court-issued Hold Departure Order), Secretary Vida explained that it serves as a tripwire. The moment immigration officers spot Dela Rosa at a checkpoint, law enforcement will immediately be deployed to execute a conditional arrest based on the ICC warrant.
- Direct Directive: “The DOJ will treat any attempt of Senator Dela Rosa to leave the country as a mockery of justice. If he tries to leave, the appropriate arrest should be given,” Vida told reporters.
The DOJ’s aggressive border stance marks a definitive shift in how the executive branch is handling the unsealed ICC case, which links Dela Rosa to alleged crimes against humanity (murder and attempted murder) during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations.
- Compliance with the ICC: Secretary Vida confirmed that the Philippine government has officially received the valid ICC arrest warrant and a formal request for assistance. He emphasized that the Executive department fully intends to comply with the request once all domestic legal obstacles are cleared.
- Supreme Court Deliberations: The DOJ is currently waiting for the Supreme Court to rule on Dela Rosa’s third petition for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to block the warrant. The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is scheduled to submit its official comment to the high court by Saturday, May 16.
- The Sovereignty Precedent: Legal frameworks being cited by the DOJ include the landmark 2021 Supreme Court ruling (Pangilinan v. Cayetano), which established that withdrawing from the Rome Statute does not wipe out a state party’s standing obligations for crimes committed while it was a member.
The current location and status of Dela Rosa remain highly controversial. After a tense shootout at the Senate compound on Wednesday night involving Senate security and NBI operatives, Dela Rosa quietly slipped out of the legislative building around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday.
- The Senate’s Defense: Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano defended the situation, stating that Dela Rosa technically did not “escape” in a legal sense, as he left the protective custody arrangement voluntarily. He added that Dela Rosa’s wife sent a message explaining that the senator chose to leave to spare the Senate further institutional friction.
- The Investigation: When asked if allied senators could face charges for obstruction of justice for allowing the fugitive lawmaker to slip past their cordons, Secretary Vida declined to give a definitive answer, stating he does not want to preempt the ongoing NBI and independent investigations.
In a passionate reminder during the press briefing, Secretary Vida urged the public not to misinterpret the legal process or paint the embattled senator as a victim of foreign overreach.
“My fellow citizens, we are losing our way in how we view this process. Here at the DOJ, what we are trying to point out is: let us look at the victims. Remember, this arrest warrant against Senator Bato dela Rosa exists because there are Filipinos seeking justice. In the evidence laid out before the ICC, there are real victims who are looking for closure.” — Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida