LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday that Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa — absent from the Senate for almost two months — was believed to be in Davao City, but his department could not take any action without an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC). Remulla said he understood that Dela Rosa, who has not been seen in public since rumors that the ICC had issued a warrant for his arrest, was believed to be staying in Davao with his family. “As far as I know, because we are neighbors here in Cavite, he has not been coming home. I understand he is in Davao with his family,” Remulla said in a televised interview, adding that Dela Rosa was “around the periphery of Davao City.” “The grounds of Davao City are large. He’s at his friends. He’s just going around. He’s on a motorcycle just going around,” Remulla said. The Interior secretary reiterated that the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) had no authority to enforce any arrest based on speculation or unofficial reports. He said neither he nor his department had received a formal warrant from the ICC. “We cannot do anything until there is an actual warrant of arrest. There is none yet. I have not seen anything. These are just rumors,” Remulla said. Reports of an alleged ICC warrant surfaced after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the Interior secretary’s older brother, claimed in November 2025 that the international tribunal had issued a warrant against Dela Rosa and that he had seen a copy of it. Jonvic Remulla, however, said the Ombudsman had not shown him any document and that he had received no confirmation from proper authorities that such a warrant existed. Asked whether his brother had shared a copy with him, the Interior secretary said the Ombudsman appeared to be avoiding him on the matter. Dela Rosa has not appeared in public and has been absent from Senate hearings and sessions for nearly two months following the reports. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the senator could only be compelled to appear if his vote was needed to break a deadlock in plenary or when a measure required the vote of all senators. Sotto also earlier said he had tried to contact Dela Rosa but did not receive any reply. Despite his absence, Dela Rosa has continued to post on his official Facebook page, sharing media interviews with other senators, indicating that his office remained operational. The alleged ICC warrant is linked to the tribunal’s case against former president Rodrigo Duterte for crimes against humanity in connection with the deadly war on drugs. Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018 and was widely regarded as the architect of the nationwide anti-illegal drugs campaign known as “Project Double Barrel,” which expanded the “Oplan Tokhang” model first implemented in Davao City when Duterte was mayor. Official government data put the death toll from the antidrug campaign at more than 7,000, while human rights groups estimated between 12,000 and 30,000 killings, including unreported cases and vigilante-style attacks. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and turned over to the ICC, where he remained in custody after judges rejected his interim release request, citing him as a flight risk with significant political influence. Remulla noted that he and Dela Rosa lived about 500 meters apart in Cavite and said the senator had not returned since rumors of the ICC warrant emerged. He also said the DILG was monitoring Dela Rosa’s whereabouts to be prepared in case an official warrant was formally transmitted.