SC denies Dela Rosa’s bid to compel Ombudsman Remulla to produce ICC warrant

The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday denied the motion of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa that sought to compel Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to submit a copy of the alleged International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant issued against him.

“Acting on these submissions, the SC denied the very urgent motion seeking to compel the production of the alleged ICC warrant,” the SC said in a statement. 

Sought for comment, Atty. Israelito Torreon, Dela Rosa’s legal counsel, said they will file a motion for reconsideration.

“As a lawyer and an officer of the court, he should be made to explain as to why he has a copy of the alleged warrant, from whom he secured the same and under what authority was his source able to secure a copy of the warrant,” Torreon said in a statement to reporters.

In his motion, Dela Rosa asked the court to direct Remulla to file a sworn explanation stating how he obtained the alleged document, from whom, when, and under what authority.

In his motion, Dela Rosa also asked the court to direct Remulla to file a sworn explanation stating how he obtained the alleged document, from whom, when, and under what authority.

This came after Remulla announced that the ICC has reportedly issued a warrant against the senator.

Dela Rosa also filed a manifestation with a reiterative prayer, where he asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or writ of preliminary injunction that would prevent the government from implementing the alleged warrant.

The SC directed the respondents in the manifestation to file their comment within a non-extendable period of 10 days from notice. 

For their part, Dela Rosa’s camp previously said they have yet to receive any official confirmation that such a warrant exists.

His lawyer also argued that the government has no legal basis to surrender any of its citizens to an international tribunal due to the absence of rules governing the process.

Though there is no known case lodged against the senator in the ICC, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV previously said that Dela Rosa and four other former ranking police officials have been tagged as suspects in the ICC probe into the war on drugs.

Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Philippine National Police during the implementation of the drug war under the Duterte administration.

Based on government records, around 6,200 drug suspects were killed during the Duterte administration’s anti-drug operations. Human rights organizations, however, say that the number may reach 30,000 due to the unreported related slays. — JMA/RF, GMA Integrated News