Manila, Philippines – The Supreme Court has made a big decision! On Wednesday, the country’s highest court said “No” to stopping the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. Some people had asked the court to issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)—which is like a legal “pause button”—but the Supreme Court did not agree. The justices said the petitioners (the people who filed the request) did not prove that they had a strong enough reason to stop the arrest.
The case was discussed online, and the judges reviewed a 94-page petition. Instead of stopping the arrest, they asked the government officials involved to explain their side of the case before making any further decisions.
How Did This All Start?
On March 11, Tuesday, at 4:27 p.m., a legal petition was filed asking the court to prevent government agencies from helping the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigate Duterte. Just hours before, Duterte had been arrested because of a warrant issued by the ICC related to his controversial anti-drug campaign.
Several top officials were named in the petition, including:
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla PNP Chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil PNP-CIDG Director General Nicolas Torre III Solicitor General Menardo Guevarra Immigration Commissioner Norman Tansingco Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo AFP Chief of Staff General Romeo S. Brawner Jr.
The case was immediately assigned to a Member-in-Charge, meaning one of the Supreme Court justices would carefully study it. Later that night, at 11:17 p.m., the court received another urgent request, asking again for the arrest to be stopped. However, the justices did not issue an immediate ruling.
Duterte’s Children Take Action
The next day, March 12, the situation became even more intense. Duterte’s children, Sebastian Duterte and Veronica Duterte, filed a separate legal request known as a writ of habeas corpus. This is a special order asking the court to make sure their father is not being illegally detained. They wanted the court to demand that government officials show proof of where their father is and explain why he is being held.
Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo quickly ordered a special raffle, which means the court randomly picked another justice to handle this new case. Now, everyone is waiting to see what the court will decide next!
What Happens Now?
The Supreme Court has not made a final decision yet, but it is carefully reviewing the case. The people who filed the petition and the government officials involved will have to submit their side of the story before the justices rule on what happens next.
This case is very important because it will affect not just Duterte, but also how the Philippines handles international laws and human rights cases. The world is watching, and many people are eager to see what the Supreme Court will decide!
