The Philippine Senate approved a motion on Monday afternoon to place Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa under protective custody as he faces legal matters related to the International Criminal Court (ICC) case against him. Senator Rodante Marcoleta, who filed the motion, stated that it aims to protect dela Rosa while he exhausts all legal remedies concerning his case. Marcoleta emphasized that dela Rosa deserves protection as he fights for his rights.
This marks the first time dela Rosa attended a Senate session since November 2025. He had missed previous sessions after reports surfaced that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with the controversial war on drugs under former President Rodrigo Duterte's administration.
Before the session, dela Rosa claimed that some National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) personnel blocked him from entering the Senate building. In response, the Senate ordered the cited NBI personnel to be held in contempt and placed under the custody of the chamber.
Meanwhile, the Senate was temporarily placed under lockdown following an alleged attempt to arrest dela Rosa during the plenary session. Senate personnel said the lockdown was conducted to identify the NBI personnel who allegedly harassed the senator.
Constitutional Provision
According to Article 6, Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, a senator cannot be arrested while Congress is in session if the offense carries a penalty of not more than six years of imprisonment. However, former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV countered in an interview, "In my case, when I was arrested inside the Senate, the charge was reclusion perpetua, so I was not protected by that provision." Trillanes added that dela Rosa's case involves crimes against humanity with a penalty of life imprisonment, "so he cannot be protected by that constitutional provision."
