Ronald Marapon dela Rosa (born January 21, 1962), known by his nickname Bato, is a Filipino politician, retired police officer, and fugitive. He has been a senator of the Philippines since 2019. He served under the Duterte administration as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from July 1, 2016, to April 19, 2018, overseeing the government's war on drugs. He also served as director general of the Bureau of Corrections from April 30 to October 12, 2018.
Dela Rosa was born into poverty in Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, a town next to Davao City. He worked as a fish vendor and bus conductor growing up. After briefly attending the Mindanao State University, he entered the Philippine Military Academy and graduated in 1986, upon which he became acquainted with Davao City OIC Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. In years before and after the 1986 People Power Revolution, dela Rosa served as the chief handler of the anti-communist vigilante group Tadtad, which was accused of committing massacres in its operations.
Dela Rosa is currently wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague for crimes against humanity due to his involvement in the drug war during the administration of Rodrigo Duterte, who was arrested in March 2025 and is currently detained at The Hague. During a Senate hearing in October 2024, Duterte called Dela Rosa one of the commanders of his death squad.
On November 8, 2025, Philippine Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa, though it was denied at the time. Dela Rosa went into hiding for six months upon learning of the possible warrant, and had consequently been absent from 31 Senate sessions. On May 11, 2026, he was assisted by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano in returning to the Senate upon being convinced by Cayetano to help vote for the removal of Tito Sotto as Senate President amidst the second impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Upon attempts by the National Bureau of Investigation to serve the ICC arrest warrant, Dela Rosa evaded arrest and stayed within the premises of the Philippine Senate at the GSIS Building from May 11 to 14, 2026, where he was placed under a contested protective custody while awaiting a Supreme Court decision on a petition to block his arrest. During a three-day lockdown for his stay at the Senate, gunshots were fired by the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) on the evening of May 13 against an alleged offensive by members of the NBI; a later investigation by the Philippine National Police concluded that no attack was taking place during the shooting, with the first shots initiated by the OSAA. In the early hours of May 14, 2026, dela Rosa escaped the Senate premises in a vehicle owned by Senator Robin Padilla.
Early life and education Ronald Marapon dela Rosa was born on January 21, 1962, at Barangay Bato, Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, to Teodoro Diamaton dela Rosa Sr. and Anesia Cruspero Marapon. His family was "dirt poor" as his father earned little money from his job as a tricycle driver. He was young when he worked as a fish market porter and bus conductor.
Dela Rosa went to Mindanao State University (MSU) to study for a Bachelor of Science degree in public administration. In 1982, he left MSU to join the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) and graduated in 1986 as part of PMA Sinagtala class. He then earned a Master of Public Administration degree in 1998 and a Ph.D. in development administration in 2006 from the University of Southeastern Philippines in Davao City.University of Southeastern Philippines – Ronald dela Rosa Congratulatory Tarp
Dela Rosa completed a Scout Ranger Orientation Course, Police Intelligence Officer Advance Course, Police Officers' Comptrollership Course, and the Police Safety Officer Course. He also attended training courses of the FBI Academy and U.S. Army Ranger School in the United States, and Air Marshal Instructors Course by the Australian Federal Police.
Dela Rosa was nicknamed "Bato" during his first assignment in Davao, when his upperclassmen likened his body to a rock.
Police career Early career (1986–2012) Dela Rosa joined the police force in 1986 as a Lieutenant of the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary in Davao City. During the 1980s, he was the chief handler of the extremist religious cult Tadtad, which was accused of committing massacres and cannibalism.
In 1992, he was designated as chief inspector and worked as one of the staff at Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao. In 1997, he was designated as police provincial director of Compostela Valley.
In 1999, he was assigned to the office of the Police Director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
In August 22, 2000, a Cotabato City regional trial court branch 13, under Judge Israel Bagundang, ordered the arrest of at least five members of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) - then Maj. Dela Rosa, Capt. Alen Bacarra Delvo, Steve Bohol de la Cruz, Paul Arias, and Wilson Ugdiman - in Davao city after they have defied a court order by refusing to turn over firearms confiscated from the complainants. Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, chapter president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines in Cotabato, filed criminal charges to the five members of the PAOCTF claiming she and her relatives were "harassed, searched illegally and detained for at least five hours in Davao City. Dela Rosa denied this allegation, claiming it was "pure harassment" and told the media that he was expecting the issuance of the arrest order, and have filed a temporary restraining order. before the Court of Appeals the day the court issued contempt against dela Rosa and the four other men under PAOCTF.
In 2001, he returned to PRO-Davao and continued his service as deputy chief of the Office of the Regional Personnel and Human Resource and Development Division (ORPHRDD) of Region XI. In 2003, he was promoted to Police Superintendent and was assigned to Camp Catitipan in Davao City. He was then transferred to the Directorate for Human Resources Doctrine and Development as head of training. In 2005, he was assigned to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) as a city personnel officer. After eight months, he was transferred back to PRO-Davao and was promoted as chief of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID). In 2007, he became the director of the Compostela Valley Provincial Police Office (CVPPO) as its police chief. In 2008, he was promoted to a rank of Senior Superintendent. In 2009, he was moved to Davao del Sur where he served as director of the Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office (DSPPO). In 2011, he became the chief of the Regional Logistics and Research Development Division (RL-RDD) in PRO-Davao. In 2012, he was assigned to Davao City as the new director of the Davao City Police Office.
Davao City Police Office Chief (2012–2013) Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Davao City Police Office from January 2012 to October 2013 under Mayors Sara Duterte (in office: June 30, 2010 – June 30, 2013) and Rodrigo Duterte (in office: June 30, 2013 – June 30, 2016). In 2012, he led the crackdown on the carnapping syndicate allegedly masterminded by Ryan "Baktin" Yu. In July 2013, he headed the successful rescue of the kidnapped Filipino-Chinese businesswoman Sally Chua. He also directed the implementation of Oplan Tokhang (Cebuano portmanteau for tuktok, "knock", and hangyo, "persuade"), a campaign against illegal drugs where the police would knock on the doors of suspected drug users and distributors and persuade them to cease their illegal activities; and Oplan Pakgang, (Cebuano portmanteau for "Pitulon ang Kabatan-onan sa Gang", "Disciplining Youths in Gangs") where the police, through a series of lectures and discussions, discouraged Davao City's youth from joining criminal gangs and other illegal activities.
Camp Crame (2013–2016)
After serving as Davao City Police Chief, Dela Rosa was assigned to the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame where he worked for the PNP Intelligence Group from October 2013 to December 2014. In 2015, he became a member of the PNP Board of Inquiry which investigated the Mamasapano clash that claimed the lives of 44 Special Action Force commandos, 17 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members and five civilians while the cops were on a mission to arrest international terrorist Zulkifli Abdhir, alias Marwan. Dela Rosa also served as the executive officer of the Directorate for Human Resource and Doctrine Development (HRDD).
A few days before the May 9, 2016, Philippine general election, Dela Rosa was relieved as brigade commander of the Reactionary Standby Support Force (RSSF) of the Philippine National Police allegedly due to his Facebook posts seen to be in favour of then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte. However, his commanding officer at that time, PNP deputy chief for operations Deputy Director-General Danilo Constantino, denied that Dela Rosa's Facebook posts were the main reasons why he was relieved of his duty. According to Constantino, Dela Rosa was relieved from the RSSF so that he could focus on his responsibilities as executive officer of the HRDD. Nonetheless, Constantino stated that the PNP Internal Affairs Service will investigate Dela Rosa's Facebook posts for possible administrative liabilities as the officers of the Philippine National Police are required to be neutral and apolitical during the elections.
PNP Chief and BuCor director (2016–2018)
Dela Rosa was handpicked by then presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte as the new PNP Chief on May 19, 2016. He vowed to implement on a national scale the Davao model of law enforcement, saying, "If someone fights back, they'll die. If nobody fights back, we'll make them fight back. Produce blood. Instil fear."
On July 1, 2016, he was officially sworn in as the 21st chief of the Philippine National Police while being promoted to director-general, the highest-ranked PNP officer. He issued Command Memorandum Circular No. 16-2016, or Project Double Barrel, formalizing the nationwide drug war, a campaign that he said was "really about killings". He addressed the public to tell them to "kill drug lords and burn their houses".
Amid Vice President Leni Robredo's criticisms of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, in October 2017, Dela Rosa said Robredo should set aside her alleged political ambitions to become president and advised her to "help Duterte first". Dela Rosa was set to retire on January 21, 2018, due to the mandatory retirement at age 56, but his term was extended for 3 months until April 21, 2018.
During his stint as PNP chief, Dela Rosa made headlines regularly as he led the controversial drug war and Oplan Tokhang operations throughout the country. He is suspected of having taken part in a "common plan" to neutralize alleged criminals during the drug war.
On August 25, 2016, the newly appointed Chief of the National Police stated "You know who these drug lords are. Do you want to kill them? Kill them. It's okay because you're the victim here." "If you want, you know who these drug lords are. Go to their houses. Pour gasoline in their houses, set it on fire. Show them you're angry".