Philippine senator takes refuge in Senate as ICC arrest warrant is unsealed
A Philippine senator linked to Rodrigo Duterte's drug war has taken refuge inside the Senate after officers moved to arrest him as the International Criminal Court unsealed a warrant for his arrest.
Ronald Dela Rosa was seen fleeing into the building on Monday and was later placed under protective custody.
Security camera footage shown to lawmakers reportedly captured National Bureau of Investigation agents chasing Dela Rosa up stairs and along a corridor after he arrived.
Police later said they would not arrest him while he remained in Senate custody.
Dela Rosa is accused of the killing of at least 32 people between 2016 and 2018 as an indirect co-perpetrator in Duterte's anti-drugs campaign.
Duterte himself has been in ICC custody in The Hague since his arrest in March 2025.
The standoff has added to tensions around the Senate, where supporters gathered outside the building and Dela Rosa urged them to keep vigil until the Supreme Court decides.
He has said he will remain within Senate premises and do everything to avoid being taken to The Hague.
His lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to block any arrest in the absence of a valid Philippine judicial warrant.
