The Supreme Court (SC) has announced an investigation into individuals who falsely spread claims that it issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. The high court warned that those behind the misinformation would face appropriate sanctions.
SC spokesperson Camille Ting clarified that the court never issued such an order and dismissed related social media posts as disinformation. She also addressed another false claim stating that the SC received a petition urging President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to resign, calling it “completely untrue.”
“These acts of disinformation, including previous false reports on March 11, 2025, alleging that the SC issued a TRO, will be submitted for appropriate action,” Ting said.
Duterte and Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa had filed a petition on the day of the former president’s arrest, seeking his release and urging the SC to prevent the government from cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, the high court denied any claims that it granted a TRO in response to the request.
Meanwhile, the SC dismissed as fake a circulating press release stating that it received a petition with 16 million signatures pushing for Marcos’ resignation. Some social media posts even claimed that the SC En Banc would convene to discuss the matter, which Ting refuted.
“We urge the public to rely on official announcements from the SC, which are published on its official website and verified social media accounts,” she emphasized.
The Supreme Court reiterated its call for the public to verify information before sharing it online, warning against the spread of misleading and unverified claims.
