Supreme Court allows SolGen to represent gov’t in Duterte, Bato petition
MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has accepted the manifestation of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to represent the government in the petition filed by detained former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sen. Bato Dela Rosa.
In a statement on Thursday, December 4, the Supreme Court said that it accepted the manifestation with the entry of appearance filed by the OSG to “resume its role as counsel” for the government-respondents in the case.
The OSG filed its manifestation on December 1.
This means that the OSG, which is the legal counsel of the government, can now represent the government in the “habeas corpus petition” filed by Duterte and Dela Rosa assailing the government’s cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the former president's handover in March this year.
The OSG previously declined to represent the government in the habeas corpus petition filed by Duterte, Dela Rosa and the former president’s children during the tenure of former Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra.
The OSG had justified this recusal by citing its firm, long-standing belief that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.
On the same day the OSG filed the manifestation, it also filed a petition asking the high court to deny Dela Rosa’s temporary restraining order against a possible ICC arrest warrant issued against him.
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