DAVAO CITY (May 11) — The Philippine government appears to be intensifying its scrutiny of alleged extrajudicial killings linked to the Duterte-era drug war after the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group confirmed it will issue a subpoena against Senator Ronald dela Rosa over killings that occurred during his time as police chief in Davao.
The move marks one of the strongest indications yet that authorities are reopening sensitive questions surrounding the bloody anti-drug campaign that defined the Duterte administration and left thousands dead nationwide.
During a Sunday briefing, Juanito Victor Remulla clarified that the CIDG would serve a subpoena — not an arrest warrant — ordering dela Rosa to personally appear before investigators.
“It’s all related to the 100-plus complaints of EJK that occurred during his term as City Director and Regional Director of Davao,” Remulla said.
“There will be no handcuffs. It is merely a subpoena for investigation, not an arrest warrant.”
The investigation reportedly stems from findings and testimonies gathered during the House Quad Committee hearings, which revisited alleged abuses tied to anti-drug operations in the Davao Region.
Remulla said the CIDG inquiry was triggered partly by persistent reports of a possible International Criminal Court arrest warrant against dela Rosa — rumors the government says remain unverified.
“We are not a member of the ICC. We are not working with the ICC. This is a purely internal matter that we are doing,” Remulla stressed.
Still, the timing of the subpoena has fueled speculation that domestic authorities are now under increasing pressure to demonstrate accountability over unresolved drug war killings before international bodies intervene further.
Remulla also revealed that airports, seaports, and other exit points have been placed on alert to monitor any possible movement involving the senator.
More subpoenas are expected in the coming days.
“We have to make it clear that EJK is no longer a policy of the PNP,” Remulla said.
“We have to make it clear that all officers involved must be held accountable.”
The statement is particularly significant because dela Rosa was widely regarded as one of the principal architects and most visible enforcers of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
For years, human rights groups, victims’ families, and church organizations — especially in Mindanao — have demanded accountability for killings linked to anti-drug operations, many of which remain unresolved.
Critics argue that despite repeated official denials, impunity surrounding drug war deaths has deeply eroded public trust in law enforcement and the justice system.
The latest development also places renewed focus on Davao City, long portrayed by Duterte allies as the model for the administration’s hardline anti-crime approach.
Now, that same legacy is increasingly under legal and political scrutiny.
Dela Rosa has yet to publicly respond in detail to the CIDG move, although his prolonged absences from Senate sessions in recent months had already sparked speculation over possible legal risks tied to the ICC investigation.
For many observers, the subpoena represents more than a procedural step.
It signals that questions once considered politically untouchable may now be entering a new and uncertain phase of accountability.
