DOJ Subpoenas Senate Records, PNP Firearms Office in Expanded Probe of Obstruction in Dela Rosa ICC Arrest

# DOJ Subpoenas Senate Records, PNP Firearms Office in Expanded Probe of Obstruction in Dela Rosa ICC Arrest **The Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to the Senate Secretariat and the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office as part of an obstruction investigation tied to the failed attempt to serve the ICC arrest warrant on fugitive Senator Ronald dela Rosa — while the NBI warns more international warrants are imminent against other drug war perpetrators.** The Department of Justice escalated its investigation into the events surrounding the May 13 Senate lockdown on Monday, May 26, issuing a series of subpoenas to key government institutions as prosecutors try to build a factual record of who did what — and who may have obstructed the enforcement of the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant against Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. According to The Manila Times, Justice Secretary Frederick Vida told reporters in a briefing that a special panel of prosecutors ordered the production of documents from the Senate Secretariat, the Commission on Audit, and the Philippine National Police–Firearms and Explosives Office (PNP-FEO). The subpoenas mark a significant expansion of the DOJ's scope beyond simply locating dela Rosa and into the question of whether officials actively helped him evade custody. ## What the Subpoenas Cover The subpoena directed at the Office of the Senate Secretary is the most politically sensitive. Prosecutors ordered the submission of internal security entry and exit logs and documents from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) covering personnel deployment, firearms issuances, and security procedures during the May 13 standoff. Those records could shed light on a critical unresolved question from the night of May 13: who authorized the OSAA's armed response — including warning shots fired inside the GSIS Building — that prevented NBI agents from entering the Senate compound to serve the warrant. Senate OSAA chief Mao Aplasca has maintained the gunfire was defensive, but the NBI at the time denied it had sent the agents whose alleged forced entry triggered the shooting. The subpoena of PNP-FEO records would allow investigators to trace the legal status of firearms used that night, and whether OSAA personnel were properly licensed to carry them in the Senate compound. ## The Obstruction Question Philippine law under Republic Act 9851 — the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law — and relevant ICC cooperation frameworks requires the Philippine government to arrest and surrender persons subject to ICC warrants. Legal analysts cited by BusinessWorld noted that the May 13 events, if they constituted deliberate interference with a valid ICC warrant, could expose involved officials to separate criminal liability under domestic law. The DOJ has not yet named specific individuals as targets of the obstruction inquiry. Vida said the subpoenas were for the purpose of establishing "a complete factual record," according to The Manila Times. ## More Warrants Coming Separately, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said on May 23 that the bureau had received information indicating additional ICC warrants could be issued in the coming days against other alleged co-perpetrators in the Duterte drug war, according to the Philippine Star and the Inquirer. "If an additional arrest warrant comes out, we are always ready to enforce and serve it," Matibag told reporters, according to the Philippine Star. Among those previously named by the ICC as alleged co-perpetrators in its case are Senator Bong Go, former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde, former NBI director Dante Gierran, former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency director general Isidro Lapeña, former Davao City police chief Vicente Danao, and former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. Malacañang, for its part, said through a spokesperson that any future ICC warrants would be enforced immediately, signaling the Marcos administration has no intention of repeating the hesitation that marked the initial response to the dela Rosa warrant. ## The Manhunt Continues Dela Rosa himself remained at large as of May 26. The Supreme Court voted 9-5-1 on May 20 to deny his petition for a temporary restraining order against the ICC warrant, and the DOJ formally declared him a fugitive the following day. An Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order remains in effect, preventing him from leaving the country. The PNP has deployed specialist tracker teams in a nationwide manhunt, and intelligence indicates dela Rosa is still inside the Philippines. His exact location has not been disclosed. ## Context The del Rosa case has exposed significant fault lines in the Philippine constitutional order. His lawyers argue that the Constitution requires a local court order before any arrest can be made, regardless of the ICC warrant. The Supreme Court's 9-5-1 majority rejected this argument for the purpose of a temporary restraining order, but the underlying constitutional question has not been definitively resolved. A full ruling on his main petition is still pending. The May 13 Senate lockdown — in which barbed wire was strung around the GSIS building and shots were fired — was the most dramatic flashpoint in a weeks-long standoff between the ICC's enforcement mechanism, local law enforcement, and the Senate's institutional claim to protect its members. The DOJ's expanded subpoenas suggest prosecutors believe the record of that night contains material still not publicly known. --- ## Sources - The Manila Times: ["DOJ subpoenas key govt institutions in expanded probe of ICC warrant on dela Rosa"](https://www.manilatimes.net/2026/05/26/news/doj-subpoenas-key-govt-institutions-in-expanded-probe-of-icc-warrant-on-dela-rosa/2351276) (May 26, 2026) - Philippine Star: ["Additional ICC warrants expected soon amid search for Bato — NBI"](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/05/23/2529991/additional-icc-warrants-expected-soon-amid-search-bato-nbi) (May 23, 2026) - BusinessWorld: ["ICC warrant enforcement on Bato may signal more arrests — analysts"](https://www.bworldonline.com/the-nation/2026/05/25/752019/icc-warrant-enforcement-on-bato-may-signal-more-arrests-analysts/) (May 25, 2026) - Inquirer: ["'Several' others to face ICC arrest warrants over drug war — NBI"](https://globalnation.inquirer.net/324221/nbi-chief-several-personalities-to-be-issued-arrest-warrants-from-icc) (May 23, 2026) - Manila Bulletin: ["'But wait there's more': NBI says ICC may issue additional arrest warrants after Bato"](https://mb.com.ph/2026/05/23/wait-theres-more-nbi-says-icc-may-issue-additional-arrest-warrants-after-bato) (May 23, 2026) - Philippine Star: ["Palace: Future ICC arrest warrants enforced immediately"](https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/05/25/2530309/palace-future-icc-arrest-warrants-enforced-immediately) (May 25, 2026)