Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa filed a second urgent plea before the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday, seeking the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) and other injunctive reliefs following the recent security incident and reported gunfire inside and around the Senate.
Through the law firm of Torreon & Partners, Dela Rosa submitted a “Very Urgent Manifestation of Supervening Events with Reiterative Prayer” on May 14 in connection with G.R. No. 278747, the pending petition jointly filed with former President Rodrigo Duterte against Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and other officials.
The latest filing came after the High Court earlier directed government respondents to comment within 72 hours on Dela Rosa’s original petition seeking protection from possible arrest linked to the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
The SC did not issue a TRO in his earlier request, but said the case remained under consideration.
In the new motion, dela Rosa’s camp cited what it described as “grave supervening events” during the May 13 tensions at the Senate, including reports of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) presence near the GSIS-Senate area, alleged attempts to access the Senate through connected entry points, reported drilling activity, gunfire, lockdown conditions, and conflicting official statements afterward.
The filing argued that the developments intensified concerns over possible arrest, detention, or transfer based on an alleged ICC warrant without authorization from the Philippine courts.
Dela Rosa’s lawyers reiterated their request for a TRO, status quo ante order, and other injunctive reliefs to block any effort to remove the senator from Philippine jurisdiction while constitutional issues surrounding the ICC process remain unresolved.
The defense also noted that separate investigations by the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are ongoing to determine who was involved in the Senate incident and establish the circumstances surrounding the reported breach and gunfire.
According to the filing, the legal team will continue exhausting all available legal remedies to safeguard dela Rosa’s liberty, due process rights, and mandate as a sitting senator while awaiting further action from the SC.
