MANILA, Philippines – After the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte, the International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon seek to hold Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and retired police chief Oscar Albayalde accountable for the drug war killings, but Malacañang said no new warrants have been issued.
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the government has not received any formal request from Interpol regarding new warrants for the two former top cops. “As of now, we haven’t received information if there will be another warrant of arrest through the Interpol. Should there be one, we will have the same response. We will respond accordingly,” Castro said.
Dela Rosa, who led the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 2016 to 2018, was the architect of “Oplan Tokhang,” a campaign where police knocked on doors of suspected drug offenders to convince them to surrender. The operation, however, resulted in thousands of deaths, many of which were labeled as extrajudicial killings.
Albayalde, who took over as PNP chief in 2018, has also been linked to the controversial anti-drug campaign. He is currently running for mayor in Angeles City, while Duterte is eyeing a return to local politics as a candidate for Davao City mayor.
Human rights advocates and international bodies have long sought accountability for the brutal drug war, which left thousands dead. With Duterte now facing trial in The Hague, the ICC’s next moves regarding Dela Rosa and Albayalde remain to be seen.