SC denies Dela Rosa's TRO petition vs ICC warrant
The Supreme Court rejected Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa's petition for a temporary restraining order in line with the implementation of the arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC for alleged crimes against humanity.
In a statement released on Wednesday, May 20, the SC said it voted 9-5-1 to deny the senator's TRO request.
Dela Rosa, through his legal counsel, earlier sought the SC's "immediate judicial protection against what now appears to be a coordinated, three-layered enforcement strategy against him, despite the absence of any warrant issued by a Philippine court."
"Our prayer before the Supreme Court is direct: We sought again the immediate issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction prohibiting any arrest, detention, turnover, transfer, rendition, or surrender of Senator Dela Rosa without a valid Philippine judicial warrant," the Law Firm of Torreon and Partners said.
The SC, in its statement, clarified that it "only decided on the prayers for interim relief."
"The main issues raised by the parties in their pleadings and motions are yet to be resolved in the main case," it added.
The senator served as the PNP chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte's term, allegedly helping him carry out the so-called drug war, for which Duterte is awaiting trial at The Hague. Duterte is charged with three counts of murder as crimes against humanity. Dela Rosa has been identified as one of Duterte's co-perpetrators and is now on the ICC wanted list.