FACT-CHECK: The ICC has not issued an arrest warrant for Sen. Bato Dela Rosa

CLAIM: The ICC has released a warrant for the arrest for Sen. Bato Dela Rosa.

RATING: FALSE

A YouTube video posted by the channel “Viral TV” falsely claimed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest for Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who faces accusations in relation to ex-president Rodrigo Duterte administration’s drug war.

Flagged Content: The thumbnail of the video features Dela Rosa holding a document while being surrounded by reporters.

The caption of the video reads, “Lagot! BATO Dela Rosa, HINULI na ng ICC! Warrant of Arrest NILABAS na! MAKAKASAMA na nya si DIGONG!”
A few clips of Dela Rosa being surrounded by people were used at the beginning of the video.

Our Debunk: The ICC has not released a warrant of arrest for Dela Rosa.

The photo used in the thumbnail, which supposedly shows him holding the arrest warrant, is a picture of Dela Rosa holding his Certificate of Candidacy for Senator. The photo of Dela Rosa holding his COC was taken from a Philstar.com article posted on Oct 12, 2018.
ICC records as of Aug. 20, 2025 show that there is no warrant of arrest for Dela Rosa.
Furthermore, Dela Rosa’s post on Facebook shows that he attended the Blue Ribbon Committee’s first hearing on Aug 19, 2025.
Another Facebook post by Dela Rosa on Nov 23, 2024, shows a clip of him being interviewed in front of St. Luke’s Medical Center.

Rewind: As the former chief of the Philippine National Police(PNP)under the Duterte presidency, Dela Rosa played a significant role in the administration’s anti-narcotics campaign.

The actions the Senate will take if or when an arrest warrant is released have been discussed by the chamber.

Why we’re fact-checking this: As of the time of writing, the YouTube video has amassed 19,717 views and 705 likes.

Spot the fake: In cases like political news, it’s best to trust news organizations that cite reputable sources. Ysabel Javier

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