An alleged police escort that may have facilitated Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s departure from the Senate compound in the early hours of May 14 is now under active investigation by the Philippine National Police, with the force’s chief vowing accountability if unauthorized assistance is confirmed.
Pasay police chief Joselito de Sesto has acknowledged being inside a white police vehicle captured on video leaving the Senate premises at around 3 a.m. alongside a black van suspected of carrying Dela Rosa. De Sesto, however, denied that his presence amounted to an escort or any form of logistical support for the van.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said he has directed investigative units to independently review logbooks, CCTV footage, radio dispatch records, deployment logs, mobility records, duty rosters, and body camera footage from units assigned to the Senate complex and nearby areas that night.
“If the investigation reveals that there was any unauthorized coordination, false reporting or logistical support given to evade legal processes, those involved will face the full brunt of administrative and criminal sanctions,” Nartatez said.
The PNP chief denied that the national leadership had any hand in the movement. “As the chief of the PNP, I categorically state that the national leadership had no prior knowledge of, nor did it authorize any logistical assistance for, the departure of Senator Dela Rosa from the Senate premises,” he said.
Nartatez said police deployment at the compound that night was limited to public safety, crowd control, and perimeter security following a shooting incident reported earlier that evening, with personnel from the Pasay City Police and the National Capital Region Police Office among those in the area.
“The PNP remains a highly professional, apolitical organization loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law. We do not participate in clandestine escorts or partisan maneuvers,” he added.
The probe’s scope may not be limited to police personnel. Legal expert Antonio Bucoy of the Free Legal Assistance Group and Movement of Attorneys for Brotherhood, Integrity and Nationalism said the Office of the Ombudsman may look into whether certain senators face criminal liability under Presidential Decree No. 1829, which penalizes obstruction of justice.
Bucoy cited Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s own public admission that Dela Rosa left the Senate with Senator Robin Padilla as a potential basis for liability. “We cannot deny that Bato dela Rosa escaped with the help of Senator Padilla because Senate President Cayetano himself said that (Dela Rosa) left the Senate with Senator Padilla. Now, is there a liability? Yes, there is, and it is a criminal liability under PD 1829,” Bucoy told radio dzBB on Sunday, May 17.
