The Supreme Court on Wednesday denied the request of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or status quo ante order (SQAO) in connection with his possible arrest based on the warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a press briefer released Wednesday, May 20, 2026, the SC said the En Banc, voting 9-5-1 during a special session, denied Dela Rosa’s prayer for interim relief.

In his manifestations before the High Court, Dela Rosa sought a TRO and/or SQAO to prevent several government agencies from arresting him on the basis of any warrant issued by the ICC, any Interpol red notice or diffusion, or any foreign judicial or quasi-judicial instrument without a corresponding Philippine judicial warrant.

Among the agencies named in the petition were the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Philippine National Police, National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Immigration, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The SC clarified that it only resolved the requests for interim relief, particularly the TRO and SQAO, and has yet to rule on the main legal issues raised by the parties in the case.

The High Court also announced that the full resolution, including the separate concurring and dissenting opinions of the justices, will be uploaded to the SC website on May 25, 2026.

A status quo ante order is a court directive that seeks to restore the situation to the state it was in before the disputed act or event took place. In Dela Rosa’s case, the requested SQAO aimed to prevent the enforcement of possible international arrest mechanisms against him while the petition remains pending before the Court.

The main petition filed by Duterte and Dela Rosa remains unresolved.

(With reports from Mariz Umali and Mariel Celine Serquiña, GMA News)