One hundred fifty-one alumni of two once-rival University of the Philippines student political parties are demanding the immediate resignation of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, holding him directly accountable for the disappearance of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa from Senate premises — a man subject to an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for alleged crimes against humanity.
The joint statement, issued by alumni of Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan (SAMASA) and Nagkaisang Tugon — rival factions of UP Diliman student politics in the 1980s and 1990s that have periodically united on national issues since — called the chaotic events at the Senate on the night of May 13 “one of the most embarrassing episodes in recent Senate history.”
“That failure rests primarily and singularly on Alan Peter,” the statement read, referring to Cayetano’s role in what they described as a profound collapse of institutional responsibility.
Dela Rosa, who had been placed under “protective custody” by the Senate while his lawyers sought to exhaust legal remedies against his ICC arrest warrant, escaped from the Senate premises in the early hours of Thursday, May 14, following a shooting incident the previous night. Cayetano confirmed on Thursday afternoon that the Senate sergeant-at-arms had verified Dela Rosa was “no longer in the building,” adding that the senator had left with Senator Robin Padilla.
The ICC had unsealed an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa on Monday, citing incidents in which 32 people were killed between 2016 and 2018. Prosecutors accuse Dela Rosa of conspiring with former President Rodrigo Duterte in alleged crimes against humanity during the drug war.
Security cameras had previously recorded Dela Rosa running through the halls and stairwells of the legislature as agents from the National Bureau of Investigation attempted to serve the warrant, before a series of lockdowns inside the building followed and riot police surrounded the Senate compound.
The SAMASA-Tugon alumni statement argued that Cayetano cannot escape accountability by invoking the Senate’s institutional authority to shield Dela Rosa and then claim ignorance once he disappeared. “You cannot invoke the Senate’s institutional powers to shield someone from arrest, insist that you are now responsible for his custody and safety, obstruct or delay lawful enforcement efforts, and then later shrug your shoulders when the person disappears,” the statement read.
Cayetano, however, pushed back against critics, arguing that Dela Rosa did nothing wrong in leaving. “But again, mali ‘yong word na escape because there’s no warrant. There’s no warrant, so he’s free to go,” the Senate President told reporters on Thursday. “We don’t take judicial notice of that stuff. You have to come to us and present it,” he added.
That position was contradicted by the ICC itself, which confirmed through spokesperson Oriane Maillet that the warrant circulated in Philippine media is “indeed a formal ICC document,” and that the Pre-Trial Chamber I — the same chamber that ordered Duterte’s arrest in 2025 — found sufficient grounds to believe Dela Rosa was criminally liable for crimes against humanity.
The Akbayan Party separately described Dela Rosa’s departure as “obstruction of justice,” with party president Rafaela David saying the Senate leadership under Cayetano had “aided and abetted a fugitive, sheltered him and ultimately provided the opportunity for his departure.” David further alleged that Dela Rosa had gained entry into the Senate using Cayetano’s own vehicle.
The UP alumni groups also called for accountability from Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, saying he was “seen more like someone who was protecting the majority of senators from the Duterte camp, instead of someone carrying out the laws of our land.”
SAMASA, which stands for Sandigan para sa Mag-aaral at Sambayanan, was founded in 1980 as a left-leaning student party at UP Diliman, while Nagkaisang Tugon was established in 1981 as a rival moderate faction. The two groups have periodically set aside their differences to issue joint statements on significant national issues, including the defense of academic freedom and opposition to the Marcos political dynasty.
Their joint statement closed with a direct ultimatum to the Senate President: “He must — of his own accord or by force from his peers — resign.”
