The Senate on Monday approved a motion placing Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa under Senate protective custody following reports of a possible arrest in connection with an International Criminal Court (ICC) case.
During the plenary session, the motion was filed by Senator Rodante Marcoleta and was approved by newly-installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano without objection from the chamber. The measure allows Dela Rosa to remain under the Senate’s protection while he addresses the reported legal developments and exhausts available remedies.
“I move that Sen. Bato be placed under Senate protective custody until he’s able to get all and exhaust all legal remedies to protect himself and until this institution is also able to do just the same,” Marcoleta said during the session.
The decision came amid an incident involving personnel from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), who were allegedly seen following the senator inside the Senate premises as he returned to work after months of absence.
The Senate Sergeant-at-Arms presented CCTV footage to the plenary showing NBI agents allegedly pursuing Dela Rosa within the building. The senator was later seen entering the session hall, where he reportedly sustained minor injuries to his fingers, which he said occurred during the incident.
In response to the incident, the Senate also moved to cite the involved NBI agents in contempt. Senator Joel Villanueva made the motion, citing their alleged attempt to block or detain a sitting senator inside the chamber while it was in session.
“We cannot excuse the chasing inside the Senate premises, whether the NBI is justified or not. We are holding them in contempt because of the action they have taken and the manner they tried to prevent Sen. Bato from reaching the plenary,” Cayetano said.
The Senate ordered its Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms to take custody of the NBI personnel involved while an investigation is conducted into the incident.
Dela Rosa and his allies also raised concerns over the incident, citing long-standing parliamentary tradition that senators cannot be arrested while Congress is in session.
Dela Rosa appeared in the chamber after a six-month absence, helping cement the new Senate leadership lineup.
Meanwhile, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV also appeared before the media, presenting what he claimed was a copy of an ICC arrest warrant connected to crimes against humanity allegations tied to the previous administration’s war on drugs.
The alleged warrant has not been independently verified by the ICC or other authorities.
