The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald Dela Rosa on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to immediately intervene following the violent incident that unfolded at the Senate complex Wednesday, arguing that the events reinforced the constitutional issues raised in his pending petition against any possible arrest tied to the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement released by his legal team, Dela Rosa said he had filed a “Very Urgent Manifestation of Supervening Events” before the Supreme Court in connection with the case jointly filed by former president Rodrigo Duterte and the senator against then-Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and other government officials. The filing reiterated Dela Rosa’s request for a temporary restraining order, status quo ante order, and other injunctive reliefs amid what his camp described as alarming developments surrounding the Senate incident on May 13. The senator’s lawyers informed the high court about reports of National Bureau of Investigation personnel inside the GSIS-Senate area, an alleged attempt to access the Senate through a connected entry point, a reported drilling incident, gunfire, lockdown conditions inside the Senate premises, and conflicting statements issued afterward by authorities. Dela Rosa’s camp said investigations by the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government were still ongoing, adding that they were awaiting official findings on the identities of those involved, the chain of command, the firearms used, access routes, and whether any government agencies or private individuals played a role in the incident. “No arrest operation, no political objective, and no foreign or international process can justify placing a co-equal branch of government, its Senators, staff, security personnel, members of the media, and guests in danger,” the statement read. “The Senate is not a battlefield. It is a constitutional institution.” The statement argued that the events suggested that some individuals were allegedly prepared to go beyond constitutional limits to arrest Dela Rosa. His lawyers maintained that any arrest involving the senator must pass through Philippine courts, insisting that any valid warrant should come from a Philippine judge and be subjected to judicial review. “There is no lawful shortcut around the Constitution,” the statement added. Dela Rosa’s camp said the incident was directly connected to the constitutional questions already pending before the Supreme Court, particularly on whether Philippine authorities could arrest, detain, transfer, or surrender the senator based on an alleged ICC warrant or other foreign or international process without authorization from a competent Philippine court. They asked the Supreme Court to act swiftly “with the urgency demanded by the Constitution, the rule of law, and the fundamental rights of every Filipino citizen.”
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