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Advocates Philippines
'Let's See How This Plays Out': Rep. Zia Adiong On Possible ICC Arrest Warrants For Duterte Allies
Photo credit: Congress PH
“Let’s see how this will unfold.”
That’s how House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is choosing to approach growing chatter that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon issue arrest warrants for former President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged co-conspirators in his brutal war on drugs.
Duterte is currently in the ICC’s crosshairs in the Netherlands, accused of crimes against humanity for the bloody campaign. Now, attention is shifting toward other key figures who could be next in line—like Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde.
“If the ICC does issue new warrants, it’s really up to the Marcos administration to decide how to respond,” Adiong said. “The government has been clear that it no longer recognizes the ICC. But we have to remember—these alleged crimes happened when the Philippines was still part of the Rome Statute.”
In short: even if the country has withdrawn from the ICC, the court might still claim jurisdiction over events that happened during our membership.
Adiong was careful to frame the issue as one for the executive branch to handle, saying lawmakers like himself will be watching from the sidelines—for now. “From the legislative side, it’s purely up to how the executive would respond to these ongoing cases.”
As for Bato and Albayalde? The senator has been flip-flopping on how he’d respond to a possible arrest warrant—saying one minute that he’d surrender, and the next, that he might go into hiding. Albayalde, meanwhile, is eyeing a mayoral run in Angeles City.
When asked about Duterte’s defense team trying to narrow the range of documents identifying drug war victims, Adiong didn’t mince words. “Of course they’ll try every legal maneuver to frustrate the ICC process. That’s their job as a defense team.”
But he pushed back hard on the idea of demanding victims or their families provide IDs to be counted.
“To me, that’s just asking too much,” he said. “Why would a national ID or SSS ID matter when you’re talking about someone who died? What more concrete evidence is there than the death of a loved one?”
In the end, Adiong said the families of drug war victims have every right to seek justice—and the ICC is one path for them to do so.
“They are Filipino citizens. They have legitimate grievances. They deserve to be heard.”
For now, like the rest of us, Adiong is waiting to see what happens next.
That’s how House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong is choosing to approach growing chatter that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may soon issue arrest warrants for former President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged co-conspirators in his brutal war on drugs.
Duterte is currently in the ICC’s crosshairs in the Netherlands, accused of crimes against humanity for the bloody campaign. Now, attention is shifting toward other key figures who could be next in line—like Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde.
“If the ICC does issue new warrants, it’s really up to the Marcos administration to decide how to respond,” Adiong said. “The government has been clear that it no longer recognizes the ICC. But we have to remember—these alleged crimes happened when the Philippines was still part of the Rome Statute.”
In short: even if the country has withdrawn from the ICC, the court might still claim jurisdiction over events that happened during our membership.
Adiong was careful to frame the issue as one for the executive branch to handle, saying lawmakers like himself will be watching from the sidelines—for now. “From the legislative side, it’s purely up to how the executive would respond to these ongoing cases.”
As for Bato and Albayalde? The senator has been flip-flopping on how he’d respond to a possible arrest warrant—saying one minute that he’d surrender, and the next, that he might go into hiding. Albayalde, meanwhile, is eyeing a mayoral run in Angeles City.
When asked about Duterte’s defense team trying to narrow the range of documents identifying drug war victims, Adiong didn’t mince words. “Of course they’ll try every legal maneuver to frustrate the ICC process. That’s their job as a defense team.”
But he pushed back hard on the idea of demanding victims or their families provide IDs to be counted.
“To me, that’s just asking too much,” he said. “Why would a national ID or SSS ID matter when you’re talking about someone who died? What more concrete evidence is there than the death of a loved one?”
In the end, Adiong said the families of drug war victims have every right to seek justice—and the ICC is one path for them to do so.
“They are Filipino citizens. They have legitimate grievances. They deserve to be heard.”
For now, like the rest of us, Adiong is waiting to see what happens next.
Apr 10, 2025
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