Calling it “way long overdue,” human rights alliance Karapatan said there should be no obstruction and no compromise in the implementation of the warrant of arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa by the International Criminal Court (ICC), to ensure that long-delayed justice is finally served to the victims of the Duterte administration’s war on drugs and other grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
“If confirmed, the arrest should be implemented without delay. This would be a significant and long-awaited step toward justice for the thousands of victims of killings and rights violations committed under Duterte’s murderous campaign,” said Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay.
“Dela Rosa, who served as the chief architect and public face of the drug war, must be held accountable—alongside Rodrigo Duterte and all those who ordered, enabled, and attempted to conceal these atrocities.”
Karapatan underscored that Dela Rosa was not a mere implementer, but one of the principal architects of the Duterte government’s war on drugs, which claimed tens of thousands of lives, most of them poor.
“Dela Rosa’s record of human rights violations goes way back before his role in Duterte’s drug war,” said Palabay. “If the Senate shields him from arrest, it becomes complicit in harboring a criminal. There is no dignity in protecting perpetrators of mass murder and repression.”
The group recalled that as a young lieutenant in Davao City in 1986, Dela Rosa was the chief handler of the anti-communist religious cult Tadtad, infamous for beheading suspected communist sympathizers. His record of violations has since expanded, from his leadership of Oplan Tokhang, Oplan Double Barrel, and its later iterations, to his involvement in the enforcement of Duterte’s brutal counterinsurgency campaign.
In 2018, Dela Rosa publicly supported Duterte’s decision to terminate peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and declare an all-out war against the New People’s Army (NPA). After Duterte backed him in the 2019 senatorial elections, Dela Rosa carried his former commander’s policies into legislation, pushing for the restoration of the death penalty, mandatory ROTC for college students, and the institutionalization of the NTF-ELCAC. He also sought to amend the Party-list System Act to bar progressive groups and red-tagged organizations from running in elections.
Karapatan also noted Dela Rosa’s consistent promotion of red-tagging and harassment of activists and youth organizers. He called on schools to profile students “vulnerable to NPA recruitment” and publicly praised a man who tore down campaign materials of Kabataan Partylist distributed peacefully by youth volunteers in Davao City. “By encouraging harassment and red-tagging, Dela Rosa directly endangers activists and lays the groundwork for more serious human rights violations,” the group said.
As one of the senators who voted to pass the Anti-Terrorism Act, Dela Rosa bears responsibility for enabling one of the most draconian laws weaponized against activists, journalists, government critics, and dissenters.
Karapatan urged the Marcos Jr. administration to allow the ICC process to proceed, following Senate President Tito Sotto’s statement that the Senate “will not allow” Dela Rosa’s arrest within its premises, effectively turning the chamber into a sanctuary for the accused.
“To Senator Sotto: there is no dignity in protecting those responsible for widespread killings, torture, and the criminalization of the poor,” Palabay said. “This so-called ‘institutional courtesy’ should never be used as an excuse to obstruct justice or shield Dela Rosa from accountability. True dignity lies in defending the people’s rights—not in protecting perpetrators of crimes against humanity.”
“He must face justice—alongside Duterte and all officials who ordered, enabled, and covered up these atrocities,” Palabay stressed. “This should serve as a warning to all those who trample upon the rights of the people: your time will come, and the people will have justice.” #