MANILA, Philippines — Moving aggressively to block high-profile drug war targets from slipping into hiding, the executive branch has updated its tactical protocol regarding international police requests. Malacañang announced that any upcoming warrants of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against co-perpetrators of former President Rodrigo Duterte must be served by law enforcers “immediately.”
The major shift in Palace strategy is a direct reaction to the evasion of fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who successfully escaped a law enforcement cordon at the Senate complex earlier this month.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro confirmed during a broadcast interview that the government is discarding historical procedural loops to prevent future coordination failures:
[Forthcoming ICC Arrest Warrants] ──► Validated as Decisions of an International Tribunal │ ▼ (The New Administrative Directive)[Direct Executive Enforcement] ◄── Bypasses Filing Requirements in Local Domestic Courts │ ▼ [Law Enforcement Ordered to Execute Orders Immediately]
“These warrants do not need to go through local courts,” Castro stated explicitly. She clarified that because the ICC functions as an international tribunal rather than a foreign court of an independent state, its orders carry direct global validity under existing frameworks favored by recent Supreme Court resolutions.
To anchor the legality of the rapid enforcement directive, Malacañang is relying directly on Section 17 of Republic Act No. 9851 (the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity):
[ REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9851: SECTION 17 ]
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┌────────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ DISPENSING DOMESTIC INQUIRY ] [ THE SURRENDER MANDATE ]
• **Tribunal Preemption:** Mandates that Philippine authorities • **Extradition Alignment:** Empowers state agents to promptly
may completely waive local investigation or domestic prosecution surrender or extradite accused individuals directly to the
if an active international tribunal is already trying the crime. appropriate international court without local delay.
The warning from the Palace lands as intelligence units brace for a broader sweep of the former administration’s security architecture.
| Operational Leadership | Law Enforcement Preparations & Directives | Institutional Expectations |
| Director Melvin Matibag (National Bureau of Investigation) | Confirmed the bureau has received intelligence that “several” more personalities connected to the Duterte drug war are scheduled to face imminent ICC arrest warrants. | Urged impending respondents—mostly former high-ranking police officers—to surrender immediately rather than copy Dela Rosa’s flight. |
| Maj. Gen. Robert Morico II (PNP-CIDG Director) | Announced that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is prepared to deploy nationwide units to serve upcoming orders “at all costs.” | Maintained that all tactical teams will operate strictly under international humanitarian law and standard police operational rules. |
With former President Duterte currently detained in The Hague awaiting trial since March 2025, and trackers actively pursuing Senator Dela Rosa across regional borders, the government’s new directive closes a vital legal loophole. By removing the requirement for domestic judicial review on international tribunal warrants, the administration is ensuring that upcoming targets will have zero transition windows to escape—solidifying a rapid state machine to address crimes against humanity.