Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Fredderick Vida deferred to the Supreme Court’s judgement on the issue of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday.

In response to a question during a press conference as to whether Dela Rosa’s arrest warrant should be passed to local courts, Vida declined to answer, saying he would not get ahead of the High Court.

“These are precise issues that the Supreme Court will pass upon, so I would just decline to answer. The government will be presenting its case to the Office of the Solicitor General. We… should respect the authority of the Supreme Court on this matter,” he said.

However, he confirmed the validity of the ICC warrant in connection with his case as an accomplice to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity.

Vida declared that if Dela Rosa was to be caught attempting to leave the country, he would be arrested.

“The Department of Justice will treat any attempt of Senator Bato Dela Rosa to leave the country as a mockery of justice. And I am giving specific orders to law enforcement agents, to our border control authorities that if Senator Bato Dela Rosa would try to leave the country that the appropriate arrest should be made,” he said.