MANILA – The Supreme Court (SC) has rejected the petition for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald dela Rosa, challenging the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Duterte.
In a statement released Wednesday, the SC explained that the petitioners failed to demonstrate a clear and compelling need for the immediate issuance of a TRO. The petition was submitted on Tuesday and assigned to a justice member-in-charge for review. The Court also received a late-night plea for a TRO, directing the respondents to respond within 10 days.
Additionally, the SC received separate petitions from Duterte’s children, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte and Veronica Duterte, seeking a writ of habeas corpus for the former president. These petitions were raffled for action as well.
The petitions argued that the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2019 exempts it from the ICC’s jurisdiction. However, the government has clarified that despite this withdrawal, the country remains bound by its obligations to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), which aids in pursuing fugitives globally.
Duterte was detained at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday morning, and later departed the country that night to face crimes against humanity charges at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands.
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