MANILA – The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) said it will submit its comment to the Supreme Court on Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s petition seeking relief against the enforcement of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.

In a report, it said that in a statement, the OSG said it will file its comment on behalf of respondent government officials on or before May 16.

The move comes after Ronald dela Rosa filed a manifestation before the Supreme Court of the Philippines on Monday, asking for immediate judicial protection and clarification on the legal effect of the ICC warrant.

Dela Rosa also sought the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a writ of preliminary injunction to stop his arrest or transfer to any foreign tribunal without prior court approval.

The High Court directed the respondent officials to submit their comment within 72 hours, while Dela Rosa was also given 72 hours from receipt of the comment to file a reply. The Court did not issue a TRO but said it may still do so at a later time.

Dela Rosa is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity of murder.

The warrant cited his alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator in killings that reportedly occurred from July 3, 2016, to the end of April 2018, involving at least 32 deaths.

He was previously placed under protective custody at the Senate, although he later left the premises at around 2:30 a.m., according to earlier reports.