Supreme Court Considers TRO for Senator Dela Rosa Amid ICC Concerns

Supreme Court Considers TRO for Senator Dela Rosa Amid ICC Concerns

By Bing Jabadan – TheNATIONWEEK.com | May 15, 2026

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) confirmed Wednesday that it can issue interim relief, including a temporary restraining order (TRO), for Senator Ronald dela Rosa if immediate action is needed regarding an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

SC spokesperson Atty. Camille Sue Mae Ting stated, “The Court can grant the reliefs requested by the petitioner if necessary.” She urged the media to review the petitioner’s requests in filed motions.

This clarification followed a special en banc session where the SC ordered executive branch officials to respond within 72 hours to Senator dela Rosa’s “Urgent Manifestation with Omnibus Motion” and “Extremely Urgent Supplemental Manifestation with Motion.” These filings are part of G.R. No. 278747, “Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ M. Dela Rosa versus Lucas Bersamin, et al.,” a case prompted by reports of an ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa related to the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.

The Court also directed Senator dela Rosa to submit his reply within 72 hours of receiving the respondents’ comments.

While the Supreme Court did not immediately grant the requested TRO, writ of preliminary injunction, or status quo ante order, it stated that its current action was “without prejudice” to implementing urgent measures if warranted.

Senator dela Rosa petitioned the High Court to prevent any arrest, detention, transfer, or surrender linked to an ICC process or foreign-issued warrant without prior judicial authorization from Philippine courts.

He has also challenged a subpoena from the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, which ordered his appearance at Camp Crame for investigations into alleged extrajudicial killings during his tenure as Davao City police chief.

ICC prosecutors have identified the senator, who served as Philippine National Police chief under the Duterte administration, in relation to “Project Double Barrel,” the anti-illegal drugs campaign under scrutiny for alleged crimes against humanity.