Hungary stays in ICC; Philippines braces

Péter Magyar said on May 23 that Hungary was reversing its plan to leave the International Criminal Court, a move that keeps the court’s arrest warrants in force in a European Union member state. Magyar said his government was withdrawing Hungary’s intention to exit the court, according to reports published Saturday. (yahoo.com) The decision preserves Hungary’s obligations under the Rome Statute at a time when the court’s warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant remain outstanding. (manilatimes.net) In Manila, the Philippine National Bureau of Investigation said on May 23 that it was prepared to enforce additional ICC warrants tied to the court’s drug-war investigation. (philstar.com) NBI Director Melvin Matibag said authorities were still looking for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, whose arrest warrant the ICC confirmed publicly on May 11. The two developments, in Europe and Asia, put the focus back on whether national authorities will execute ICC orders once they are issued. ### Why does Hungary’s decision matter for the Netanyahu warrant? Hungary remained bound by ICC obligations even before any withdrawal could take effect, because Article 127 of the Rome Statute gives a one-year delay after notice of withdrawal. (yahoo.com) A legal note published by the American Society of International Law said Hungary’s withdrawal would not have taken effect until June 2, 2026. Magyar’s reversal removes that pending exit and leaves Hungary inside the court system. The Jerusalem Post reported on May 23 that the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant remain in place. Magyar had said a month earlier that if Hungary stayed an ICC member and a wanted person entered its territory, that person had to be taken into custody. (manilatimes.net) ### What exactly did Magyar say? Magyar said on May 23 that his government was withdrawing Hungary’s intention to leave the ICC, according to Yahoo and other reports carrying his statement. The announcement reversed the position associated with former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had moved to leave the court after rejecting the Netanyahu warrant. Human Rights Watch said in April that Magyar had pledged to reverse Hungary’s move to leave the court and restore compliance with rule-of-law commitments. (asil.org) Politico reported in April that Magyar had also said Hungary must detain Netanyahu if he entered Hungarian territory while wanted by the ICC. (jpost.com) ### What is happening in the Philippines now? Melvin Matibag said on May 23 that the NBI was ready to enforce any additional ICC arrest warrants in the crimes-against-humanity case linked to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. Philstar and the Manila Times reported that Matibag said more warrants could come soon and that authorities were continuing to search for dela Rosa. (yahoo.com) The ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor said the warrant against Ronald Marapon dela Rosa was originally issued under seal on November 6, 2025, and later unsealed. The court said the warrant had been conveyed to Philippine authorities. Rappler and the Philippine News Agency reported that the ICC confirmed on May 11 that the warrant circulating publicly was genuine. (hrw.org) ### How close are Philippine authorities to another arrest? Philstar reported on May 23 that dela Rosa remained in hiding as the search continued. ABS-CBN and other Philippine outlets reported this week that the NBI would enforce the ICC warrant following a directive from the Department of Justice. Matibag also said immigration records showed dela Rosa was still in the Philippines. (manilatimes.net) The next concrete steps are in Manila. The NBI said it is still searching for dela Rosa, and Matibag said “several” more personalities could face warrants in the same ICC case. In The Hague, the ICC prosecutor has already said the dela Rosa warrant was sent to Philippine authorities, leaving enforcement to domestic agencies. (icc-cpi.int) (globalnation.inquirer.net) (philstar.com)