Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa took to social media on Monday to share a deeply personal dream where he reunited with former President Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest—a scenario he and fellow lawmakers are actively lobbying for.
“Last night I had a dream: Mayor Rody was granted house arrest. We had a tearful reunion. We hugged each other & he whispered to me; ‘Ronald, I’m okey now.’… Lord, pls make my dream come true,” Dela Rosa wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post.
The former police chief-turned-senator, along with Senators Robin Padilla and Bong Go, earlier filed a resolution urging the Philippine government to appeal for Duterte’s interim release in the form of house arrest at a residence in The Hague, Netherlands.
Citing the ex-leader’s advanced age and health conditions, the senators argued that continued detention could further endanger Duterte’s well-being. The resolution emphasized the right of the Philippines to seek more compassionate conditions for its former head of state—even after its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Duterte, 80, is currently detained at the Scheveningen Prison in The Hague on charges of crimes against humanity linked to his controversial anti-drug campaign. While government records peg the death toll at over 6,000, human rights groups claim the figure could be as high as 30,000 due to unreported killings.
Dela Rosa played a central role in Duterte’s war on drugs as the Philippine National Police chief during its peak. Despite being under scrutiny himself, he remains a staunch defender of the former president.
Vice President Sara Duterte previously revealed that her father has become noticeably frail in detention, saying he is now “skin and bones” after significant weight loss.
