Philippine Senator Ronald de la Rosa, the most absent member of the Senate, is anticipated to prolong his disappearance following revelations identifying him as a co-perpetrator in the impending International Criminal Court (ICC) trial against former president Rodrigo Duterte. The senator has been evading public duties since September 2025 amid circulating rumors of an ICC arrest warrant targeting him.
De la Rosa served as chief of police in Davao City and later at the national level during Duterte’s terms as mayor and president, respectively. He is widely regarded as the primary executor of the government’s controversial war on drugs, which resulted in the extrajudicial killings of thousands of suspected drug offenders. Both Duterte and de la Rosa have been publicly recorded authorizing and implementing this violent campaign.
The senator has explicitly stated his refusal to face arrest and transfer to The Hague, Netherlands, where he would stand trial alongside his former superior on charges of crimes against humanity. His concerns gained substantiation on Friday when the ICC released a less redacted version of the complaint, explicitly naming de la Rosa among eight other high-ranking former police and government officials.
Despite his prolonged absence, de la Rosa continues to receive his monthly senatorial salary of ₱334,059 (approximately Dh21,150), totaling nearly ₱4 million annually excluding additional benefits. His disappearance has drawn sharp criticism from colleagues who argue he should resign from his committee leadership positions.
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, de la Rosa’s absence has forced the postponement of critical hearings. He also missed crucial bicameral conference committee meetings regarding the 2026 national budget and failed to defend several agencies including the Department of National Defense and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in December.
His consistent absenteeism has inspired legislative measures such as Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos’ proposed “No work, no pay” bill targeting absent government officials. Senate President Vicente Sotto III confirmed that de la Rosa has been unresponsive to repeated attempts to ascertain his whereabouts.