Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa revealed that his return to the Senate last May 11 — after nearly six months of absence — was partly orchestrated by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, who called him back to secure enough votes for a shift in chamber leadership.
“Tinawagan ako ng aking mga ka-Senador na kailangang nandito ako sa Senado para sumumpa,” dela Rosa said in an interview with Jessica Soho on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, adding that Cayetano had personally reached out to him. “So kung hindi ako dumating, hindi namin makuha ‘yung leadership dahil nga ako ang contempted vote.”
While dela Rosa downplayed suggestions that his timing was linked to the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, he acknowledged that discussions about reclaiming the Senate majority were part of the context.
His reappearance at the Senate came amid mounting pressure from an International Criminal Court warrant issued against him for alleged crimes against humanity and murder connected to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. The ICC said judges had determined there were “reasonable grounds to believe” dela Rosa may be criminally responsible as an “indirect co-perpetrator.”
Dela Rosa flatly rejected the court’s authority over him. “You want to punish me, do it here in the Philippines not in other countries,” he said, reiterating the Philippine government’s 2019 withdrawal from the Rome Statute as grounds for dismissing the ICC’s jurisdiction.
He also addressed what he described as an attempt by individuals claiming to be National Bureau of Investigation agents to detain him upon entering the Senate building. “Hinawakan ‘yung braso ko, pumiglas ako, pagpiglas kong gano’n, takbo na ako,” he said, adding that minor injuries on his hand came from a fall during the commotion. “Nadapa ako sa pagtakbo.”
Dela Rosa insisted on his right to be present and serve as a senator judge in the impeachment proceedings. “This is my duty to vote. You cannot question me for being here, and to sit as a Senator Judge,” he said.
On his role in the anti-drug campaign, he denied that he ever directed police to kill suspects. “Wala po akong ni-isang taong, isang pulis na sinabihan ko na, ‘Patayin mo ‘yan,'” he said, while expressing sympathy toward families of those who died. “Ako’y nakikiramay sa lahat ng namatayan ng War on Drugs. Hindi ko po kinukunsinti ‘yung mga pagkakamali na ginawa ng ating kapulisan.”
Asked about former President Rodrigo Duterte’s well-documented statements urging lethal action against drug suspects, dela Rosa characterized them as “hyperbole” not intended to be taken literally. “It does not necessarily mean na patay sa bunganga niya, patay din sa kamay namin,” he said.
Death toll estimates from the anti-drug campaign have varied widely — from more than 6,000 in official government figures to between 12,000 and 30,000 in data the Department of Justice previously submitted to the ICC.
On the legal question of whether the ICC warrant could be enforced locally, dela Rosa’s counsel Attorney Israelito Torreon argued it was not self-executing. “Under Rule 39, section 48, it has to pass through a petition for judicial confirmation of foreign judgment before it can be recognized by the Philippines,” Torreon said. He also raised questions about discrepancies between the warrant copy circulated publicly by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the version posted directly by the ICC — though Trillanes maintained the court had already confirmed the warrant’s existence.
Cayetano, for his part, defended the Senate’s protective posture toward dela Rosa and questioned whether a foreign-issued warrant could be locally acted upon without prior Philippine court action. He also denied the Senate was the source of the disorder. “Ginugulo kami, hindi kami ang magulo,” he said, noting that NBI officials had themselves coordinated with Senate staff about personnel stationed near the complex.
Trillanes pushed back against the Senate’s handling of the matter, citing past arrests of sitting senators — including Juan Ponce Enrile, Leila de Lima, and himself — all of which occurred inside the chamber. “Lahat po ng mga Senador na nakasuhan na above six years, ay inaresto sa loob ng Senado,” he said.
Tensions peaked Wednesday night when dela Rosa appealed via Facebook Live for supporters to come to the Senate, triggering a lockdown and widespread confusion after gunshots were heard. Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca later confirmed that warning shots had been fired. Both Malacañang and the NBI denied any operation was underway. NBI Director Melvin Matibag said, “Wala naman kaming dineploy du’n and wala namang utos na may aarestuhin po si Senator Bato,” while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated, “Wala pong instruction kahit na kanino na hulihin si Senator Bato.”
The Department of Justice has since confirmed the ICC warrant is considered valid, and dela Rosa has been placed under a travel watch should he attempt to leave the country.
