Malacañang said the International Criminal Court (ICC)-linked arrest warrant involving Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa remains valid following the Supreme Court’s denial of his request for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Wednesday the administration recognizes the effect of the ruling, noting that the warrant continues to stand after the high court rejected the petition.
The Supreme Court, voting 9-5-1 in a special en banc session, denied Dela Rosa’s plea for a TRO and status quo ante order that sought to prevent government agencies from acting on any ICC-related warrant, red notice, or diffusion request without a Philippine court-issued warrant.
Castro also cited the position of the Office of the Solicitor General that Dela Rosa may now be treated as a fugitive in light of the current legal developments.
She said the administration also considers the circulation of CCTV footage showing the senator leaving the Senate premises as improper, noting that the matter is now part of broader scrutiny by authorities.
The footage, earlier presented by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, reportedly came from Senate surveillance systems, while questions were raised by Senate officials over its integrity.
Malacañang said the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, and the Office of the Ombudsman are expected to assess all available evidence to determine what happened surrounding the incident.
Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief, is facing possible arrest in connection with the ICC investigation into alleged crimes against humanity tied to the previous administration’s anti-drug operations.
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