MANILA – Ronald Dela Rosa, a Philippine senator and former chief of the Philippine National Police, on Monday sought judicial protection and asked the Supreme Court to immediately stop any attempt to arrest or surrender him to the International Criminal Court (ICC) based in the Netherlands.

On Monday, after months of absence, Dela Rosa returned to the Senate and took part in the vote to oust Senate president Vicente Sotto. On the same day, Alan Peter Cayetano, former secretary of foreign affairs during the Rodrigo Duterte administration, was elected Philippine Senate president.

Dela Rosa has been reportedly linked to the anti-drug crackdown launched under former President Duterte, and there had long been rumors that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against him.

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Earlier on Monday, agents of the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) attempted to detain Dela Rosa inside the Senate building but failed. Hours after the vote to oust Senate president Sotto, Dela Rosa was placed under protective custody by the Senate.

Cayetano ordered a probe into the incident and held discussions with NBI Director Melvin Matibag, who stated that Dela Rosa would not be arrested for the time being but should respond to the ongoing investigations.

Dela Rosa's camp filed an urgent manifestation and omnibus motion through a law firm. Dela Rosa requested the issuance of a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction, prohibiting any arrest, detention, turnover, transfer, rendition, or surrender of him without a valid Philippine judicial warrant.

The ICC unsealed on Monday evening an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa, which had originally been issued as secret in November 2025.