'Tinawagan ako': Dela Rosa admits Cayetano orchestrated his participation in Senate coup
Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa admitted it was Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano who arranged his May 11 appearance at the Senate to participate in a coup that would ultimately unseat former Senate President Tito Sotto.
In a one-on-one interview on Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, Dela Rosa narrated the circumstances that led to his appearance at the Senate after being absent for six months amid an ICC warrant for alleged crimes against humanity.
"Tinawagan ako ng aking mga kasamahan na kailangang andito ako sa Senado para sa botohan," Dela Rosa said.
Asked who called him specifically, Bato replied, "Si Senator Alan Cayetano, 'yung aming majority leader." Later on in the interview, he recalled Cayetano telling him, "Kailangan pumunta ka rito para maagaw natin ang majority."
According to Dela Rosa, Cayetano also sent a van, which Dela Rosa took to ride to the Senate on May 11. "Basta sabi ni Senator Alan, 'Sumakay ka diyan sa van,'" he said.
With Dela Rosa's appearance, a vote to change Senate leadership took place. Parties within the Senate flipped and, with Dela Rosa's 13th vote, Cayetano replaced Sotto as Senate President.
The coup was especially controversial because of its timing, with political analysts and social media users theorizing that the leadership change was done to stop the vice president's impeachment.
On the same afternoon that Dela Rosa appeared at the Senate, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for the second time. The next step was to transmit the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, which will then convene as an impeachment court on May 18.
Dela Rosa admitted the impeachment was among the reasons he resurfaced.
"Aside du'n sa planong change of leadership, alam ko may darating na impeachment trial. Eh pareho nating mga trabaho 'yan," he said.
NBI 'wrestling'
Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation arrived at the Senate, also on May 11, to serve Dela Rosa an arrest warrant issued by the ICC. It was a development the senator had not anticipated.
Had he known the NBI would be at the Senate, Dela Rosa said he wouldn't have shown up.
"Kung alam ko na may nag-aabang, hindi na ako papasok," he said.
Dela Rosa relayed he mistook the NBI agents for Senate staff or drivers of other senators, but then they identified themselves as NBI and took hold of his arms. At that point, Dela Rosa said he broke free and ran to the plenary hall, pursued by the agents.
Later on, Dela Rosa was shown with bandaged fingers, claiming he got the injuries from being wrestled by the NBI agents, a detail hotly contested by NBI Director Melvin Matibag.
In his interview, Dela Rosa admitted, "Nadapa ako sa pagtakbo ko... Run for your life 'yung ginawa ko. 'Takbo. Pinakamabilis na takbo gawin mo para makarating ka sa session hall.'" His fingers showed wounds he described as "gasgas lang ng konti."
Dela Rosa had been absent from the Senate since November 2025. Although he was not seen in the Senate during that period, his office continued to collect his salary as the Senate does not impose a no-work-no-pay policy. The senator, however, maintained that while his secretary was claiming his salary for him, he was "not personally getting it."
"Nahihiya na ako sa taumbayan na sige, sumusuweldo daw ako kahit na hindi ko kini-claim 'yung sweldo ko diyan sa baba," he told reporters last week. "May konsensya rin naman ako."
According to Dela Rosa, he spent those six months "...with the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field." He was "all over the Philippines," he claimed, and never left the country.
On why he changed his mind about ICC imprisonment
When former president Rodrigo Duterte was arrested by the ICC in March 2025 for crimes against humanity, Dela Rosa said he was willing to accompany Duterte in detention at The Hague. But it didn't take long for him to change his mind.
"Nagbago ang aking posisyon dahil nu'ng andu'n na si President Digong at binibisita ng mga taga-Davao, ay hindi pala puwedeng makabisita basta basta doon kundi 'yung immediate family lang ang puwedeng makakita sa kanya," Dela Rosa said.
"At kung halimbawa na ako'y makulong doon, hindi naman guarantee na isang selda lang kami at puwede akong bumisita sa kanya," he added. "So it defeats my purpose of going there kung ganu'n lang din pala ang mangyayari; hindi kami magkasama."
Additionally, Dela Rosa believes the ICC has no right to issue an arrest warrant against him because the Philippines is no longer a member of the international judicial body.
"From the very beginning, my stand is that I do not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC sa ating bansa because we are no longer a member. Our government is in no obligation to effect the warrant of arrest issued by ICC dahil hindi na tayo miyembro, eh," he said.
On March 17, 2018, then-president Duterte officially withdrew the Philippines from the ICC. Per ICC rules, the withdrawal went into effect a year later. Duterte and Dela Rosa are being accused of alleged crimes that took place before the withdrawal took effect.
Dela Rosa, however, noted that he is willing to face the charges if it's dealt with by a Philippine court.
"Gusto mo, bitayin mo ako, ipako mo ako sa krus dito sa ating bansa. 'Wag doon sa bansa ng mga banyaga," he said.
The ICC confirmed its arrest warrant against Dela Rosa on May 11. On the same day, Dela Rosa was placed under Senate protective custody.
On May 13, Dela Rosa shared he received information he would be arrested after the day's session. A shooting incident took place that evening, though the motive is still under investigation.
Dela Rosa left the Senate premises the following day and has since remained at large.
The senator served as the PNP chief during former president Rodrigo Duterte's term, allegedly helping him carry out the so-called drug war, for which Duterte is awaiting trial at The Hague. Duterte is charged with three counts of murder as crimes against humanity. Dela Rosa has been identified as one of Duterte's co-perpetrators and is now on the ICC wanted list.
