Bato Leaves Senate After Gunfire Drama: ICC Arrest Saga Deepens
Sen. Bato dela Rosa has left the Senate after a gunfire incident, deepening the national drama over the ICC arrest warrant tied to the drug war.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is no longer inside the Senate, turning the already explosive ICC arrest warrant controversy into an even bigger national drama after Wednesday night’s gunfire incident near the chamber.
According to Rappler, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano confirmed Thursday afternoon that the Senate sergeant-at-arms said Dela Rosa had left the building. Cayetano said Dela Rosa left with Senator Robin Padilla after earlier being under what Senate officials described as “protective custody.”
Cayetano also read what he said was a message from Dela Rosa’s wife, Nancy, asking forgiveness for the confusion and saying her husband left because he believed the Senate would be dragged further into the situation if he stayed. The issue erupted as Dela Rosa faces an International Criminal Court arrest warrant tied to alleged crimes against humanity in the Duterte drug war.
The Senate leader rejected the term “escape,” arguing that no local enforcement authority had formally presented the warrant to the Senate and that Dela Rosa was free to go. Rappler noted that Dela Rosa had invoked constitutional protection from arrest while Congress is in session, though that provision only covers offenses punishable by not more than six years’ imprisonment.
The Makabayan bloc condemned Dela Rosa’s exit, calling it a major failure by the Marcos administration and Senate leadership, and an injustice to drug war victims’ families. The latest twist follows a tense standoff in which gunshots were heard near the Senate complex, reportedly involving Senate security and NBI agents at the adjacent GSIS area. Source: Rappler
