Ronald dela Rosa Evades ICC Arrest, Hides in Senate
SkimNews Take
The Senate's protective custody of dela Rosa, a former police chief, establishes a precedent where domestic legislative immunity can potentially shield individuals from international legal obligations.
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- Ronald dela Rosa evaded a police raid at the Senate building on Monday night, fleeing through hallways and stairways after a gunfire exchange, and later took refuge in the office of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
- Alan Peter Cayetano granted Dela Rosa protective custody as the new Senate president, allowing him to remain inside the Senate compound despite the ongoing standoff with authorities.
- International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa for crimes against humanity linked to Duterte’s “war on drugs,” making him the most controversial lawmaker in the Philippines.
- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr faced criticism for being outmaneuvered as Dela Rosa publicly appealed to him not to hand him over to the ICC, while protesters gathered outside the Senate.
- Vice President Sara Duterte is locked in a political rivalry with Marcos, stemming from her father’s ICC arrest and the broader power struggle between Duterte’s allies and the current administration.
Why it matters: The ICC’s failure to detain Dela Rosa strengthens Duterte’s allies, weakens President Marcos’s authority, and fuels domestic criticism of the Senate’s protection of a war‑on‑drugs enforcer.
