SC Says No TRO for Bato: ICC Arrest Threat Gets Real

The Supreme Court has denied Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s plea for a temporary restraining order that would have blocked his arrest under an International Criminal Court warrant, keeping the high-stakes ICC issue squarely in the national spotlight.

According to Philstar.com, the high court voted 9-5-1 against Dela Rosa’s request for a TRO and a status quo ante order. The Court clarified that it ruled only on the request for interim relief, while the main legal issues raised in the case still have to be resolved.

Malacañang said the ruling showed the ICC arrest warrant is valid, while officials from the Department of Justice, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and National Bureau of Investigation gave cautious responses as they awaited or studied the Court’s action. Dela Rosa’s lawyer Israelito Torreon said they would file a motion for reconsideration, framing the case as a fight over due process, sovereignty, and protection under Philippine courts.

The decision comes as Dela Rosa’s whereabouts remain unknown after a dramatic sequence at the Senate, where he briefly surfaced, was placed under protective custody, and later escaped amid chaos following a shooting incident involving the Senate sergeant-at-arms. Several lawmakers and drug war victims’ families urged authorities to move toward enforcing the warrant after the TRO denial.

The case is being closely watched because Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief under Rodrigo Duterte, is tied to the ICC’s drug war investigation and faces a political and legal battle with huge public interest. Source: Philstar.com