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Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa shows his bandaged fingers to the media before the start of the plenary session at the Senate on May 12, 2026.
The Philippine STAR / Noel Pabalate
MANILA, Philippines — With Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order (TRO) denied, there is no legal impediment to implement the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against him, the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said.
In a statement on Thursday, May 21, the OSG said it welcomed the Supreme Court’s denial of dela Rosa’s request for a TRO and a status quo ante order concerning the government’s cooperation with the ICC.
“The denial of Senator Dela Rosa’s application for injunctive relief, which includes TRO, SQAO and writ of preliminary injunction (WPI), indicates that the Court found no basis to stop the implementation of the ICC warrant,” the OSG’s statement read.
“The Court’s denial of the TRO affirms that there is no legal impediment to the enforcement of the ICC warrant,” it added.
The OSG explained that a TRO or a writ of preliminary injunction would have legally barred authorities from enforcing the ICC warrant.
Meanwhile, had the warrant already been served, a status quo ante order would have forced law enforcement to undo its implementation and revert all parties to their previous, peaceful, and uncontested state before the controversy arose.
On May 20, the Supreme Court denied dela Rosa’s TRO request. However, the Court has only ruled on the interim reliefs sought by Dela Rosa but has yet to resolve the merits of the case.
Dela Rosa’s camp, on the other hand, said they will file a motion for reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s resolution.
Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC due to his alleged liability for crimes against humanity of murder over the killings of at least 32 people, allegedly committed between July 2016 and April 2018.
He is currently in hiding after appearing on May 11, when the ICC confirmed the existence of a warrant of arrest against him.
