Former Philippine police chief Ronald dela Rosa has spent the night in a senate office after fleeing government agents, following confirmation that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant for him over his role in the former president Rodrigo Duterte's deadly anti-drugs crackdown.
CCTV footage showed Dela Rosa racing through the senate complex and stumbling on a staircase as he evaded authorities. In a Facebook livestream, he claimed they wanted to forcibly take him to The Hague. Dela Rosa is named as a co-perpetrator in an ICC case accusing Duterte of crimes against humanity, with thousands killed in the crackdown.
The senate president, Alan Peter Cayetano, a Duterte ally, announced protective custody for Dela Rosa, stating that arrest would only be permitted under a Philippine court order. Barbed wire and riot police surrounded the senate compound, and the national union of journalists reported media workers were blocked from entering or leaving.
The incident coincided with the lower house's vote to impeach Vice-President Sara Duterte, the former president's daughter, on charges including misuse of funds and threats against the president. She denies wrongdoing and will face trial in the senate, where she needs nine votes for acquittal. The Dutertes' strengthened position in the senate may influence the trial's outcome.
Families of victims of the anti-drugs campaign have called for Dela Rosa to be handed over to the ICC. Llore Pasco, who lost two sons, said he played a major role in the bloody war on drugs and deserves to be jailed.
