It has been a week full of drama in the Philippines, beginning with the curious reappearance of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa. He had abandoned his Senate duties and vanished from public view six months ago, following claims by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant against him. Apparently, he was coaxed out of his hiding place not to face the music but to help stage a coup at the Senate.
His vote proved crucial in electing a new Senate President and a new majority bloc. This master stroke changed the political math and likely the course of the nation's history on the very day the House voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte. Bato's reappearance at the Senate seemed heroic until the viral sprint that followed through the Senate's hallways and staircases shortly thereafter.
The former chief of the Philippine National Police, who famously said "Make my day" when faced with possible arrest, showed the world dramatic video footage while running from law enforcers attempting to serve an ICC arrest warrant. Flight is often seen as a sign of guilt, though it may not be so. But why flee if you are not guilty? If falsely accused, would you not welcome the opportunity to clear your name? Why fear The Hague if you are innocent of crimes against humanity?
As Bato fled to the safety of his office, the Senate moved to grant him protective custody. But things were about to get even darker and more disgraceful. On the evening of Bato's third day of refuge at the Senate, a volley of shots echoed through its chambers. The new Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, as if on cue, went on Facebook Live to announce the Senate was under attack. As media scrambled for their lives, senators went live.
Something seemed off. The press panicked, but the senators and security staff appeared oddly calm—too calm for comfort. A total of 32 shots were reportedly fired that evening, yet the senators stayed cool as cats. The following day, the Filipino nation woke up to the news that Bato was gone. He had fled at dawn after the supposed shooting rampage.
Then came the battle for semantics, the projecting and gaslighting, the misinformation as well as disinformation. If Bato did not "escape" because he was free to leave, then why did he seek the protection of the Senate? Why did he flee under the cover of darkness? If the ICC arrest warrant was not valid, why did Bato go to great lengths to challenge it? He sought a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court in November 2025 and continued to seek legal action from the high court to block his arrest.
Withdrawal from the ICC does not exonerate a country from liability for crimes committed while still a member. Thus, the Philippine government is mandated to enforce Bato's warrant because the ICC still has jurisdiction over his alleged crimes. Interestingly, Senate President Cayetano, who seems dismissive of the ICC, was among the 17 senators in 2011 who voted in favor of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC.
Senators can seek privilege from arrest inside the Senate but only for offenses punishable up to six years. Crimes against humanity do not fall under this category. Public office does not exempt anyone from criminal responsibility—not just Bato, if he is guilty, but the entire lot of triggermen, thieves, and traitors who have robbed this country not just of life, wealth, and soul but also of honor, justice, and integrity. We do not need more theatrics. We need truth and transparency.
