Bato dela Rosa appears in Senate after months-long absence
Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa made his return to the Senate after being absent from sessions since November 2025.
The senator appeared during the May 11 session, in which Tito Sotto was ousted as Senate President and Alan Peter Cayetano was elected to take over the role.
Dela Rosa was seen emotional as he walked into the plenary hall.
"Ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganitong klaseng gobyerno," he said, claiming that he was blocked from entering the session.
"Kung ako'y absent, hinahanap ninyo ako. 'Sumesweldo, hindi nagpapakita.' Ngayon, nagpapakita ako dito, hinarang ako ng mga NBI. Ni-wrestling ako doon. Nagkasugat-sugat ako," he continued, showing his hand to members of the media and attendees.
Dela Rosa further slammed the NBI, slamming his hand on the desk. "This is the Senate! Wala silang respeto sa institusyon ng Senado! Bakit ganoon ang NBI?"
@philstarlife Sen. Bato dela Rosa appeared in the Senate on May 11 after being absent from sessions since November 2025. 📹 Neil Jayson Servallos | Philippine Star
♬ original sound - philstarlife
He also got heated as a reporter asked him whether he attended the session to get the numbers to stage the coup.
"Lahat 'yan trabaho ng senador!" he said, as Sen. Bong Go walked him to his seat. "This is the worst government."
A chase in the Senate
During the session, dela Rosa also sought to remove former senator Antonio Trillanes and members of the NBI from the Senate Hall after the senator was allegedly barred from entering.
The Senate released the CCTV footage showing dela Rosa running from members of the NBI in the hallways of the building.
Dela Rosa was later seen in the session hall crying after the commotion, during which he supposedly sustained minor injuries.
Cayetano said that the NBI is at the Senate to serve an arrest warrant against dela Rosa. Trillanes also showed reporters an alleged copy of the International Criminal Court warrant against dela Rosa.
"Nandito ako dahil sinabi niya on national TV na samahan ko daw 'yung mag-aaresto sa kanya," Trillanes told members of the media. "Pinakita ko sa inyo 'yung warrant ng ICC. Nandirito 'yung NBI, aarestuhin siya kaso siya naman 'yung andoon, ayaw lumabas."
The NBI personnel who chased after dela Rosa have been held in contempt, with the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms directed to put them under Senate custody.
Dela Rosa, meanwhile, has been put under Senate protective custody amid reports of an arrest warrant against him.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police has issued a subpoena to dela Rosa, ordering him to face investigators on May 14 over his alleged involvement in extrajudicial killings in the country.
Dela Rosa has sought protection from the Supreme Court against a warrantless arrest through an urgent manifestation with omnibus motion.
"Our prayer before the Supreme Court is direct: we sought again the immediate issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction prohibiting any arrest, detention, turnover, transfer, rendition, or surrender of Senator Dela Rosa without a valid Philippine judicial warrant," a statement from the Law Firm of Torreon & Partners read.
The senator has not been seen in public since reports of an ICC arrest warrant against him began circulating late last year. On Sunday, the ICC maintained it has not issued a public arrest warrant against dela Rosa.
Dela Rosa is among those named as former president Rodrigo Duterte's co-perpetrators in his crimes against humanity case over the bloody drug war.
