Metro Manila, Philippines – The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) affirmed that there are no legal blocks that prevent local authorities from serving the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 20, the agency welcomed the Supreme Court’s denial of Dela Rosa’s plea for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and status quo ante order.
“The court’s denial of the TRO affirms that there is no legal impediment to the enforcement of the ICC warrant,” it read.
The OSG added that Dela Rosa failed to prove any “urgent and irreparable injury” that would justify the Court’s intervention.
The government also took aim at the senator’s attempt to evade arrest and said that he has placed himself beyond the reach of law enforcement by going into hiding.
In its resolution released, the high court rejected Dela Rosa’s “very urgent” manifestation for an interim release with a 9-5-1 vote.
The 117-page plea invoked the senator’s “unmistakable right to be protected” after a footchase in the Senate premises as he evaded authorities attempting to serve him the warrant.
As of writing, Dela Rosa remains at-large.
