MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) has formally requested the Supreme Court to dismiss a petition filed by Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that seeks to block the enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra argued that the high tribunal cannot grant legal remedies to an active fugitive who refuses to submit to the rule of law.
The government’s strongly worded manifestation lands amid a sprawling national manhunt for Dela Rosa, who has been missing since escaping Senate protective custody following a violent shootout at the legislative complex on Wednesday, May 13.
In its manifestation filed before the Supreme Court en banc, the OSG leveled a sharp procedural challenge against the senator’s pending petition for certiorari and prohibition:
- Defying the Courts: The Solicitor General emphasized that Dela Rosa cannot simultaneously evade law enforcement and demand constitutional protections from the highest court of the land.
- The Unclean Hands Doctrine: Guevarra stated that by fleeing protective custody and transitioning into a fugitive, Dela Rosa has effectively operated with “unclean hands,” which legally disqualifies him from seeking equitable remedies or temporary restraining orders (TROs).
- A Call for Outright Rejection: “A party cannot mock the administration of justice by hiding from the law while simultaneously asking the courts to shield him from the consequences of his actions,” Guevarra noted in the filing, urging the magistrates to junk the petition with prejudice.
While the legal battle escalates in the courts, tactical operations to locate the missing lawmaker have expanded nationwide:
- Tracker Teams Deployed: Special tracking units from the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have set up strategic checkpoints and surveillance teams across Metro Manila and Dela Rosa’s home province of Davao del Sur.
- The Senate Backdoor Escape: Forensic investigations into the Thursday morning escape revealed that Dela Rosa and Senator Robin Padilla successfully slipped past broken security perimeters at 2:30 a.m. by using an unmonitored basement utility exit, utilizing a civilian vehicle that had been cleared by a compromised security guard.
- The Speaker’s Warning: In a stern press briefing, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez warned that any private citizen or public official found to be actively harboring, funding, or aiding Dela Rosa’s evasion faces immediate arrest and prosecution for obstruction of justice.
Duterte-era police chief turned senator Bato dela Rosa faces an active ICC arrest warrant for three counts of murder categorized as crimes against humanity, stemming from his foundational role as the chief architect of the administration’s deadly war on drugs.
Prior to his escape, Dela Rosa’s private legal counsel had rushed to the Supreme Court arguing that any local enforcement of an international tribunal’s warrant violates Philippine sovereignty, pointing out that the country formally withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019.
However, the OSG’s latest counter-manifestation shifts the focus entirely from abstract jurisdictional debates to immediate compliance. The executive branch has made its posture clear: until the senator emerges from hiding and surrenders himself to proper authorities, the government will aggressively move to strip him of any standing to challenge his indictment before domestic courts.