Philippines Police Rule Out Shoot-to-Kill in Manhunt for Senator Dela Rosa: ICC Warrant to Be Served With Due Process

Manila — The Philippine National Police said on November 3 that there is no "shoot-to-kill" approach in the manhunt for fugitive Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, and that officers serving the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him will observe due process. Police spokesperson Colonel Allen Rae Co made the clarification on Tuesday in response to claims circulating on social media.

Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, was the top enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs." The ICC issued an arrest warrant for him in November 2025 on charges of crimes against humanity, and he has been in hiding since May 2026. The Department of the Interior and Local Government offered a 50-million-peso bounty for information leading to his arrest on October 23 and gave him one week to surrender; the deadline expired on October 30. Police have formed dedicated tracker teams in all regions to locate him.

Police also said on November 3 that they were investigating a viral photo purporting to show dela Rosa visiting a cemetery. Representative Lordan Suan said in a November 2 statement that claims he had threatened to file a "shoot-to-kill" resolution against dela Rosa were fabricated and that he had never made such a statement.

Related: ICC: Duterte Trial Opens November 30, Former President Must Attend Daily

Related: Follow-Up: ICC Rejects Tagalog Opening Statement Request in Duterte Case: Proceedings Must Be Entirely in English

Related: Philippines: Presidential Palace Defends 50 Million Peso Bounty on October 26, Saying Pursuit of Senator Dela Rosa Is a Lawful Operation

Source: Philippine National Police

Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：2026年5月，菲律宾参议员罗纳尔多·德拉罗萨在参议院内。菲律宾参议院官方照片，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa inside the Senate of the Philippines in May 2026. Senate of the Philippines official photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

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