The National Bureau of Investigation will not pursue the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa within the Senate, with NBI Director Melvin Matibag saying the agency will respect the chamber’s authority as a co-equal branch of government.
Matibag made the announcement Monday night following a meeting with newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, signaling a de-escalation after NBI agents attempted to serve an International Criminal Court warrant against the senator earlier in the day.
“Yung ICC warrant, it’s there already and there was also a resolution I understand that the Senate mentioned that Senator Bato will be under their custody. So kami naman, on the executive side, we will respect the co-equal branch. So we will hope that kapag kailangan sumagot ni Senator Bato dun sa mga kailangan sagutin legally… si Senate will be ready to present Senator Dela Rosa,” Matibag said.
The NBI director added that any future legal communications involving Dela Rosa should be routed through the Senate President. “We’ll have communication with the DOJ and PCTC also and of course the Interpol that if there are any invitation or anything that will be communicated probably we will suggest that it should be channelled to the Senate President,” he said.
Cayetano confirmed the NBI’s position, saying the agency stood down once the Senate made its stance official. “According to the NBI director, as soon as they heard na ang stand officially ng Senate, yung Senate Resolution 44 at yung manifestation ni Senator Marcoleta na dapat dumaan ‘to sa korte, hindi na nila pinursue na arestuhin siya ngayon,” the Senate President said.
Cayetano called on the government to seek ICC warrant enforcement through Philippine courts rather than through direct executive action. “But ang appeal ko sa kanila, palakasin natin ang mga korte sa Pilipinas. Walang mawawala sa atin kung mag-a-apply sila ng warrant sa ko– sa korte at pababayaan nila yung due process, lahat ng legal remedies. It will strengthen us, not, not weaken us,” he said.
On the question of how NBI agents entered the Senate compound, Cayetano said Matibag claimed he had coordinated with former Senate President Vicente Sotto III before the operation. The new Senate leadership pushed back on that account. “Coordinated man ang pagpasok niyo, hindi naman siguro, wala naman siguro nagbigay ng pahintulot makipaghabulan. So sinasabi niya that is incidence of the arrest. So we agreed to disagree at mag-fact finding,” Cayetano said.
Several NBI agents involved in an alleged altercation with Dela Rosa were held in contempt but subsequently released to Matibag’s custody. Cayetano said the NBI director agreed to keep them at the NBI and require written explanations. A separate accountability process for the alleged incident is also being pursued.
The NBI was told it would not be allowed to re-enter the Senate premises on Tuesday. Cayetano said some senators had also requested that the suspension of NBI entry not be lifted until all agents were confirmed to have left, citing reports that some vehicles with armed personnel were still seen outside the building.
Dela Rosa will remain inside the Senate overnight. Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca confirmed the arrangement, saying an agreement is in place with both the NBI and the Philippine National Police that no arrests will be carried out within the premises under the new Senate leadership’s watch. Additional security has been deployed, with augmentation from the National Capital Region Police Office, as the Senate remains on elevated alert.
