CCTV footage of Bato dela Rosa fleeing from NBI makes international headlines
What began as a tense moment at the Senate quickly turned into an international spectacle after CCTV footage of Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa running from authorities made headlines around the world.
While his fellow lawmakers gathered at the Senate on Monday, May 11, CCTV cameras captured Dela Rosa being chased by NBI agents, who were there to reportedly serve an ICC arrest warrant against him in connection with his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings under former president Rodrigo Duterte's drug war. The chase became so intense that the senator tripped on the stairs and injured his fingers.
The incident has since been covered by local news outlets and global media organizations shortly after.
The New York Times, for one, posted the video on its social media pages, as did CNN, which described the incident as a "comedic cat-and-mouse chase."
The footage was also shared by other international media outlets such as Reuters, ABC News, and CBS News.
Filipinos expressed varied reactions in the comments section. Some voiced embarrassment over how the incident received international attention, while others responded with humor through memes and witty posts.
"If America has Rolling Stone, the Philippines has Running Stone," one user commented.
Another quipped, "That's the new Tom & Jerry episode."
Critics lamented that Philippine politics has devolved into "comedy," saying it's "embarrassing" to see the government making international headlines over the chase.
Some social media users, meanwhile, took to Dela Rosa's defense.
"If you were in his place, do you want to be caught with our due process? Don't be ridiculous and reckless [with] your comments here. It's not about the person only, but the procedure [for] how you will give the warrant. This process is clearly a kidnapping process," one commenter said.
Dela Rosa reacts to memes
Dela Rosa has since gotten wind of the memes and online jokes surrounding the incident. Instead of taking offense, the senator didn't let the online ridicule get to him and burst into laughter as he watched memes on the viral footage.
His appearance at the Senate on Monday came after a months-long absence from sessions since November 2025. During his return, he participated in the ouster of Sen. Vicente "Tito" Sotto III as Senate President, voting for Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to take over the role.
Dela Rosa was later seen in the session hall crying after the commotion with the NBI agents.
The senator has been identified by the ICC as one of Duterte's co-perpetrators in the latter's crimes against humanity case. Duterte was arrested in March 2025 and has since been detained in The Hague, Netherlands, where he awaits trial.
