Reuters and AFP, MANILA
The Philippine Supreme Court yesterday rejected a bid by Philippine Senator Ronald dela Rosa for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court (ICC).Dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted for alleged crimes against humanity over his role in a bloody “war on drugs” during Rodrigo Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency.Dela Rosa has denied involvement in illegal killings.
Philippine Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa takes a phone call during a session at the Senate in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines, on Wednesday last week.
Philippine authorities last week confirmed they were seeking to arrest the former police chief and top enforcer of the crackdown, who had argued in a petition to the court that law enforcement had no legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by a foreign court.“The Supreme Court, in a vote of 9-5-1, denied the prayer for a temporary restraining order and/or status quo ante order filed by Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ M. Dela Rosa,” a court statement said.
Dela Rosa’s attorney said they would ask the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision.The court’s ruling is the latest turn in a dramatic story that has gripped the Philippines since early last week and paves the way for his arrest.Dela Rosa last week emerged from six months of hiding and took refuge at the Senate for several days, before slipping away in the early hours of Thursday last week, after a night of chaos and gunfire following his appeal for help.The ICC last week unsealed an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, accused along with Duterte and other “co-perpetrators” of the crime against humanity of murder.Government agents tried to arrest Dela Rosa on the same day, but the pro-Duterte Senate leadership foiled the attempt and gave him sanctuary.Duterte was arrested last year and is awaiting trial before the ICC in The Hague on charges stemming from the drug crackdown.“For now, we can say that the warrant of arrest is valid against Senator Bato Dela Rosa,” Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s spokeswoman Claire Castro told reporters.It was not immediately known whether Manila would try to enforce the arrest.
