Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has urged the Supreme Court to block what he described as the enforcement of an arrest warrant allegedly issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a very urgent manifestation filed on Wednesday, Dela Rosa requested the High Court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) and immediately act on pending motions tied to his and former President Rodrigo Duterte’s earlier petition challenging the supposed transfer of Duterte to The Hague.
“The petitioners therefore beseech this Honorable Court to assert its constitutional role as final arbiter of both judicial and constitutional propriety, and to prevent another constitutional breakdown that would erode the very notion of Philippine sovereignty,” said Dela Rosa’s counsel, Israelito Torreon.
Dela Rosa asked the Court to take note of Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s public statement confirming the existence of an ICC-issued arrest warrant. However, officials from the Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, and Department of the Interior and Local Government contradicted the claim, saying no such warrant exists.
Despite the conflicting statements, Dela Rosa warned the Supreme Court of a “clear, present, and continuing danger” that he could be arrested or surrendered to a foreign court without due process. His counsel cautioned that, without judicial intervention, authorities might again invoke “international cooperation” or “comity” to justify actions similar to Duterte’s March 11, 2025 transfer—allegedly carried out without a judicial order or extradition warrant.
On Thursday, Dela Rosa also filed a motion asking the Court to compel Ombudsman Remulla to submit the alleged arrest warrant he claimed to have on his phone. Torreon emphasized that, as a respondent, Remulla “owes candor, full disclosure, and fidelity” to the Court.
