DOJ WARNS DELA ROSA OF ARREST IF HE ATTEMPTS TO FLEE COUNTRY

Senator Ronald dela Rosa may face immediate arrest if he attempts to leave the Philippines while authorities move to validate and enforce the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued against him, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said immigration authorities and law enforcement agencies have already been placed on alert following the issuance of the ICC warrant linked to alleged crimes against humanity tied to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Under what officials described as a “conditional arrest,” dela Rosa could be apprehended once he attempts to leave the country if the warrant is confirmed and activated through Philippine authorities, Interpol, or the Presidential Center on Transnational Crime.

The development comes days after the dramatic standoff inside the Senate involving dela Rosa, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, and Senate security personnel, which eventually escalated into gunfire and chaos inside the Senate complex.

Authorities said dela Rosa remains unaccounted for after reportedly slipping out of the Senate following several days under “protective custody” from allies inside the chamber.