FACT CHECK: ICC’s arrest warrant vs Dela Rosa still active, not dismissed by SC

The International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa remains in effect. Nor has the Philippine Supreme Court dismissed proceedings against him.

AT A GLANCE

• The claim that the International Criminal Court declared its arrest warrant against Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa invalid and that the Supreme Court dismissed the case is false.
• There is no official statement or legal resolution from the ICC regarding the invalidation of the arrest warrant, which remains active due to allegations of crimes against humanity during the war on drugs.

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Claim: The International Criminal Court (ICC) allegedly declared its arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa invalid, while the Supreme Court (SC) dismissed the case and arrest warrant against him.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The claim originated from YouTube videos uploaded by the channel “NEWS UPDATE FILES,” which had over 80,000 subscribers, on November 1 and 2. 

The video titles and thumbnails claim that the ICC had withdrawn its charges and that the SC officially dismissed the case against Dela Rosa.

As of writing, both videos reached 43,800, with over 2,000 likes in total. The comments section saw users commending the SC for the supposed dismissal and criticizing the Marcos administration’s alleged political motives.

The facts: There is no official statement, court order, or legal resolution from the ICC that invalidates the arrest warrant. It remains active and is publicly accessible in the ICC’s official records.

The tribunal unsealed and publicly confirmed the arrest warrant in May 2026. Based on the warrant, the Pre-Trial Chamber I found reasonable grounds to believe that Dela Rosa — in his former capacity as Philippine National Police chief — committed the crime against humanity of murder. This is in connection with the war on drugs campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained at the ICC.

Furthermore, the SC did not dismiss any ICC warrant and nor did it void the international proceedings. In fact, the former PNP chief’s legal camp continues to seek domestic remedies before the High Court, including an October 27 manifestation for reconsideration of the ruling that denied his plea for a temporary restraining order and a status quo ante order.

Dela Rosa also asked the SC to block his warrant in November 2025.

As of writing, Dela Rosa remains at large, with the interior department offering a P50-million reward for information leading to his arrest.

Lack of evidence: The video presents no official court orders, case numbers, or transcripts to prove its claims. Instead, it features an unidentified commentator reacting to unrelated, recycled clips of government officials, including former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo and Vice President Sara Duterte.

Debunked: Dela Rosa has been the target of false claims surrounding his ICC arrest warrant:

• FACT CHECK: Bato dela Rosa not yet arrested; online posts misuse old video
• FACT CHECK: ‘Shoot-to-kill’ Bato dela Rosa warning by Lordan Suan is fake
• FACT CHECK: No basis for claim that Bato Dela Rosa is under Trump’s protection

– Lyndee Buenagua/Rappler.com

Lyndee Buenagua is a Metro Manila-based journalist who primarily covers Bicol and Baguio. She is also an alumna of Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024.

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