PNP: Bato Dela Rosa left Senate in Robin Padilla's car after shooting incident
The Philippine National Police confirmed that Sen. Bato dela Rosa left the Senate in Sen. Robin Padilla's vehicle in the wee hours of May 14 after the shooting incident in the legislative building.
During a press briefing on May 19, PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said that a white vehicle was seen leaving the premises at around 2:30 a.m. An inquiry by authorities revealed that the car is owned by Padilla.
Department of the Interior and Local Government Jonvic Remulla showed a video of the SUV driving off. "That is them getting away," he said.
Another video supposedly captured dela Rosa leaving in the vehicle.
"It shows a white Fortuner and personalities going out from the Senate," Nartatez said about the clip, which has yet to be released to the media. "Particularly, makita natin doon ang Sen. Bato and Sen. Robin Padilla going to the vehicle na Fortuner."
In a May 18 interview on 24 Oras, Padilla confirmed that it was his car that was seen in the video.
"Ay opo, sasakyan ko po 'yan. Nakita niyo naman, ayang ang pinaka-humble na sasakyan sa Senate. Fortuner lang," he said.
However, he didn't answer whether dela Rosa was in the car with him. "Antayin na lang natin 'yung imbestigasyon."
In other interviews with the media after the May 18 Senate session, Padilla remained tight-lipped when questioned whether he accompanied dela Rosa the night that the gunfire took place.
The actor-turned-senator also dismissed claims that his colleague had supposedly escaped via a domestic plane or a yacht.
On May 13, dela Rosa shared that he received information that he would be arrested after the day's session. The former PNP chief is wanted by the International Criminal Court over his alleged role in former president Rodrigo Duterte's so-called drug war. A shooting incident took place that evening, though the motive is still under investigation.
It was then found that he had left the Senate premises the following day and has since remained at large.
Padilla has since been tagged by the National Bureau of Investigation as a "person of interest" in the whereabouts of dela Rosa.