The Supreme Court (SC) clarified Sunday that it has not yet ruled on the main petition filed by former President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, correcting public speculation that a final decision was imminent.
The SC said in a statement it would release on Monday the separate opinions of justices regarding its earlier denial of a temporary restraining order or status quo ante order sought by Duterte and Dela Rosa in their petition against former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and other government officials.
The High Court stressed that the release of the opinions should not be construed as a ruling on the merits of the case. “There is still no decision on the main petition,” it said.
The clarification followed reports citing remarks by Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen that were interpreted as referring to an impending decision on the petition itself.
According to the Supreme Court, Leonen’s remarks were taken out of context. The comments were made during a 23 May meeting with members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines and Mindanao State University in Marawi City.
The Court said the gathering primarily focused on Shari’ah law and the responsibilities of lawyers, and that Leonen’s statement referred to the forthcoming publication of opinions on the TRO issue rather than a final ruling on the petition.
