Philippine drug war enforcer says bounty puts life at risk as he fights ICC arrest

On October 28, the former enforcer of the Philippine government's drug war, Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, expressed grave concern over the government's bounty on his life, stating that it has put his life in "serious danger". He sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to halt his arrest. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has named Dela Rosa as one of eight individuals, including current Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, as co-perpetrators in the drug crackdown that resulted in the deaths of thousands of drug suspects and users during Duterte's presidency.

Following a failed attempt to serve an ICC warrant against him in May, Dela Rosa has been on the run. The Philippine government, on the other hand, designated him an "armed and dangerous" fugitive, offering a 50 million-peso reward for his capture and forming a police task force to locate and detain him. Dela Rosa, in a Supreme Court filing, highlighted how the designation signals armed resistance and the potential use of lethal force, which could endanger his life.

The 64-year-old, who has been avoiding Senate sessions, sought to prevent his arrest and surrender to the ICC. Philippine Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, while welcoming Dela Rosa's court filing, criticized him for not applying the same rights to the thousands of individuals killed during the drug war. Dela Rosa had been absent from Senate sessions before the ICC issued an arrest warrant in November 2025.

He emerged from hiding on May 11 and sought refuge in the Senate building, but left days later following a standoff involving security guards and investigators. The Philippine Supreme Court had previously rejected Dela Rosa's request for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest. The court is yet to rule on his petition to declare the ICC arrest warrant illegal.

Duterte, who was arrested in Manila on March 11 last year, will face trial on November 30, accused of crimes against humanity during the drug trade crackdown. Philippine police claim to have killed more than 6,000 drug suspects in self-defense during Duterte's presidency from 2016 to 2022.