No arrest can be carried out against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as long as he remains under the protection of the Senate, Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) Acting Chief retired PMGEN. Mao Aplasca clarified.

In an ambush interview with reporters on Wednesday, May 13, the OSAA acting chief said that there is a standing directive from Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano that government agents seeking to arrest Dela Rosa will be prohibited from entering Senate premises without proper legal authority.

Moreover, he said that any arrest operation involving the senator could only proceed if it was backed by an order issued by a local court.

“Maliwanag namn na sinasabi ni Senate President na no arrest can happen inside the premises. Tsaka, if there will be an arrest, it would be by virtue of an order of a local court,” Aplasca clarified.

When asked what would happen if arresting officers arrived at the scene, Aplasca responded, “Again, based on the order and instructions of the Senate President, we will not allow it to happen.”

According to him, the OSAA’s responsibility lies in ensuring the safety and security of the senators, including maintaining order within the Senate against unauthorized actions.

On Tuesday evening, five senators filed a resolution urging Dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to authorities. This is in connection with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity from 2016 to 2018 during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration.

In a livestream on Wednesday afternoon, Dela Rosa appealed to the public and asked for prayers concerning his arrest.

“Ako po’y nananawagan sa inyo na sana pumunta kayo dito, tulungan ninyo kami. Mag-vigil tayo dito sa harapan ng Senado. Ako po'y nakikiusap sa inyo kung kayo’y meron pang puso para sa ating bansa,” he expressed.