Duterte files SC challenge against ICC arrest warrant

Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa and former President Rodrigo Duterte filed a petition before the Supreme Court on Tuesday, March 11, requesting an immediate temporary restraining order against the enforcement of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Duterte.

Duterte was arrested by Interpol at Ninoy Aquino International Airport upon his return from Hong Kong on Tuesday morning and remains in ICC custody in The Hague as of Thursday morning, March 14.

Veronica 'Kitty' Duterte and her brother Paolo 'Pulong' Duterte filed habeas corpus petitions before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, March 12, seeking their father's release and challenging the legality of his arrest and detention.

Paolo Duterte argued that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines since the country withdrew from the Rome Statute in 2019 and requested a TRO to prevent government cooperation with the ICC and Interpol.

The high court ordered government officials named in the petitions to respond within a non-extendible 24-hour period explaining why a writ of habeas corpus should not be issued, and consolidated Paolo Duterte's petition with those filed earlier by his siblings, Sebastian 'Baste' and Veronica 'Kitty' Duterte.