MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court of the Philippines on Sunday clarified that it has not yet ruled on the main petition filed by Sen. Ronald dela Rosa questioning the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Philippines.
The high court said only Dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) had been resolved so far, noting that the justices’ individual opinions on the motion would be uploaded on Monday, May 25.
“There is still no decision on the main petition, as stated in the Court’s press release last Wednesday,” the SC said in a statement.
The clarification came after claims circulated online suggesting the court had already issued a final ruling, allegedly based on remarks made by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.
According to the SC, Leonen’s comments were “taken out of context” during a Saturday meeting with the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and Mindanao State University in Marawi, where discussions focused on Shari’ah law and lawyers’ responsibilities.
On May 20, the Supreme Court voted 9-5-1 to deny Dela Rosa’s plea for a TRO and/or status quo ante order against the enforcement of an ICC arrest warrant tied to his alleged role in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
However, the tribunal emphasized that it has yet to decide on the broader constitutional issues surrounding the possible enforcement of the ICC warrant in the country.
If arrested, Dela Rosa would join Duterte, who is currently under ICC custody and facing charges of crimes against humanity related to the administration’s controversial war on drugs.