The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of the Philippines to deny Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and other injunctive relief tied to an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a statement dated May 20, the OSG said the high court’s denial of Dela Rosa’s application for a TRO, status quo ante order (SQAO) and writ of preliminary injunction (WPI) “indicates that the Court found no basis to stop the implementation of the ICC warrant.”

_{OSG's statement on Sen. Bato Dela Rosa's TRO plea}

The Supreme Court initially said the denial was reached through a 9-5-1 vote. It clarified that the ruling applied only to the requests for interim relief and that the substantive constitutional and legal issues raised in the petition remain pending.

A TRO or WPI, if granted, would have temporarily halted enforcement of the ICC warrant, while an SQAO could have required authorities to reverse any actions already taken in implementing it.

The OSG earlier opposed the issuance of injunctive relief in a comment filed May 16, arguing that Dela Rosa failed to meet the legal requirements. It said the senator did not establish a clear and unmistakable right needing protection, nor demonstrate an actual or imminent violation of such right.

The government’s lawyers also noted that the subpoena issued by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), cited by Dela Rosa in his plea, had already been recalled. They added that he failed to show any urgent and irreparable injury that would justify the court’s intervention.

“The Court’s denial of the TRO affirms that there is no legal impediment to the enforcement of the ICC warrant,” the OSG said.

The office also emphasized broader legal principles, including due process, accountability and the balance of competing interests, adding that those who evade law enforcement “should not be entitled to ask for equity.”

It further underscored the Philippines’ commitment to international accountability, saying there are “crimes so grave that our government cannot simply look away.”

The OSG said it is awaiting the Supreme Court’s full ruling on other preliminary issues in the case.

Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, has remained out of public sight after reportedly leaving the Senate in the aftermath of a recent shooting incident on May 13. He is also being sought by the ICC over his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity linked to the controversial war on drugs under former President Rodrigo Duterte.