The Department of Justice (DOJ) has declined a request from the legal counsel of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa seeking confirmation or guidance regarding an alleged arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In a letter addressed to Atty. Israelito P. Torreon, DOJ officials said they could not provide advice or clarification, citing judicial courtesy and ongoing proceedings before the Supreme Court of the Philippines.

Torreon had asked whether the DOJ had received, acknowledged, or acted on any communication from the ICC, Interpol, or any foreign government concerning a warrant, red notice, or surrender request involving Dela Rosa. He also sought to know whether any directives had been issued to agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Immigration, or the Philippine National Police.

The DOJ cited a pending case before the Supreme Court—G.R. No. 278747—in which petitioners linked to Dela Rosa are seeking the production of the alleged ICC warrant. The high court has already acted on related motions, while the Office of the Solicitor General is representing the DOJ and the Department of Foreign Affairs in the proceedings.

“Consistent with judicial courtesy accorded to all courts, we regret that we cannot issue any advice or guidance on the matter,” DOJ Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan said in the letter.

Dela Rosa has drawn heightened public attention in recent weeks after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said he had received reports of an arrest warrant against the senator and claimed he had seen what he described as an unofficial copy of the warrant on his mobile phone.

The senator, a key figure in the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, has been notably absent from public view and Senate sessions following reports of the alleged ICC warrant.

Dela Rosa served as the first chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration and was the main implementer of “Oplan Tokhang,” the centerpiece of the government’s controversial war on drugs, which is now under investigation by the ICC.