Philippine Supreme Court denies Senator Ronald dela Rosa’s bid to prevent arrest

The Philippine Supreme Court on May 20 rejected a bid by Senator Ronald dela Rosa for a temporary restraining order to prevent his arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court.



Dela Rosa, whose whereabouts are unknown, is wanted for alleged crimes against humanity over his role in a bloody "war on drugs" during Rodrigo Duterte's 2016-2022 presidency.



He has denied involvement in illegal killings.



The Philippine authorities last week confirmed they were seeking to arrest the former police chief and top enforcer of the crackdown, who had argued in a petition to the court that law enforcement had no legal authority to execute an arrest warrant issued by a foreign court.



Dela Rosa's lawyers said they will exhaust all legal remedies, including filing a motion for reconsideration.



"Today's resolution is not a judgment on the merits. It is not a final ruling on the legality of enforcing an ICC process within Philippine territory," dela Rosa's lawyers said in a statement.



The court's decision is the latest turn in a dramatic story that has gripped the Philippines since early last week and paves the way for his arrest.