Ched Rick Gatchalian

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Cayetano scores gov't, Senate leadership for 'failing to guarantee Bato's rights'

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has criticized the government and the Senate for allegedly failing to assure Senator Ronald dela Rosa that he will be able to seek relief before Philippine courts if there is really  a warrant for his arrest from the International Criminal Court. &quot;So sino sa inyo dito? Kung tingin nyo bigla kayong arestohin, bigla na lang kayo dadating sa Hague nandito kayo sa Senate ngayon? Ang nagkulang hindi si Sen. Bato. I&#x27;m not saying tama ginagawa niya. Ang sinasabi ko, tayo, Philippine government at Senado nagkukulang,&quot; Cayetano said in interview at the Senate.&quot;Eh baka biglang dumating dito mag-defend ng DND budget, biglang hulihin, biglang dalhin sa Hague, wala kang kalaban laban. &quot;Cayetano said the Senate should always &quot;protect the rights of every single Filipino.&quot; &quot;That&#x27;s my personal opinion that the leadership of the Senate should always protect the rights of every single Filipino. Baka sa kanila, ang view nila pwedeng dalhin sa Hague. Ako hindi yun ang view ko.&quot;&#x27;Never kong view, abugado ako, so never ko pwedeng maging view na inutil ang Philippine courts. Wala pa ako nakikita ang treaty o batas natin na pwedeng damputin ka na lang. Kahit dun sa mga treaties natin, may crime dito may crime doon.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/2/solgen-asks-sc-to-deny-dela-rosa-s-plea-for-tro-vs-alleged-icc-warrant-1539">Solgen asks SC to deny Dela Rosa&#x27;s plea for TRO vs. alleged ICC warrant</a></div>Dela Rosa has skipped his scheduled defense and sponsorship of the Department of National Defense budget.Dela Rosa has been absent from the Senate since Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed he has seen an unofficial warrant for dela Rosa&#x27;s arrest to stand trial before the ICC for former President Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s drug war which dela Rosa implemented as national police chief.Cayetano said it is illogical to file an ethics case against dela Rosa over his current circumstances.&quot;Lahat pwede, sampahan. Pero napaka-illogical naman na paparusahan mo siya na yung liberty at life niya ay nandoon. So para mo sinabing pwede ba i-expel yung isang bata sa school kung hindi pumapasok? Kung sinabi ng principal, yung bata na may papatay, hindi ko siya mapoprotektahan. Ikaw magulang, papayagan mo siya pumasok doon?&quot;&quot;Tapos ite-threaten nila, expel, nasa records niya na expel siya. E ikaw nagsabing hindi mo mapoprotektahan. So napaka-illogical na mag-prosper yung ethics case.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/13/bato-turns-to-sc-for-tro-vs-arrest-warrant-issued-by-icc-1608">Dela Rosa turns to Supreme Court for TRO vs ICC arrest warrant</a></div>&quot;Yung mag-file pwede. Lahat naman ng klasing pagfa-file pwede. Ang question, may ground ba? E ano nga yung ground? May threat siya against his liberty?&quot;Cayetano said dela Rosa should face any warrant but not without guarantees that his rights under the law will be respected.&quot;But I’ll make it simple, kung may lumabas na warrant of arrest against sa Senator, dapat niya harapin eh.&quot;&quot;Kung may kaaway siya, whether nagse-selos na asawa, whether negosyante na nagkahiwalay sila, whether media na nagkasagutan dapat harapin niya, dapat pumasok siya. &quot;&quot;Anong exception doon? Of course kung may sakit. But this is a different case. This is a case where the Senate itself, the leadership, kami lahat minority-majority should stand up for a senator and ask, is he getting the legal protection that every Filipino should do? Ang hinihingi lang ni Sen. Bato, katiyakan na kung may warrant of arrest, makakapunta muna siya sa Philippine courts. &quot;&quot;So sino sa inyo ang hindi papasok pag sinabi sa inyong pag nandito kayo huhulihin kayo dadalhin na kayo sa Hague? Sino sa inyo dito pag sinabing, boss kung may papatay sa inyo, kung may humahabol sa inyo na papayag at sinabing pag nasa Senate ka walang gwardya dito o walang makikialam.&quot;Cayetano also shot down the idea of applying &quot;no work no pay&quot; for senators in the wake of dela Rosa&#x27;s absence.&quot;Actually mas mahal pa nga yung… If you ask Sen. Bato, he&#x27;d rather be here every day.  It&#x27;s not a choice in his case. He&#x27;d rather be here. So madaling sabihin yan, no work no pay.&quot;&quot;Unang-una your work is not only here. For example, paano kung may sakit or paano kung may COVID or whatever, nag-zoom, nag-attend pa rin, taking meetings pa rin, et cetera. So I will agree with you in general. But hindi yan ang pinag-uusapan. Hindi ito no work no pay. Hindi siya makatapak dito kasi walang guarantee na hindi siya a-arestohin at i-deport sa Hague na walang say ang Philippine courts.&quot;&quot;Wala kong problema kung sasabihin ng gobyerno. Hindi, pag hinuli yan pwede siya pumunta ng korte. Kami mismo sa minority, at least ako, hamonin ko siya, pumasok ka. Responsibility mo yan. &quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/12/bato-ready-to-join-duterte-at-the-hague-if-all-legal-options-fail-1853">Bato ready to join Duterte at The Hague &#x27;if all legal options fail&#x27;</a></div>Cayetano said he has not heard from his minority colleague lately.&quot;Hindi. Last communication ko sa kanya, yung right before the break. Noong nag-break. Right before mag-resume doon lumabas na baka may warrant, hindi ko na siya nakausap o hindi ko na siya nakatext.&quot;

Cayetano said the Senate should always "protect the rights of every single Filipino."

Cayetano said the Senate should always "protect the rights of every single Filipino."

Cayetano blasts gov't, Senate leadership for 'failing to guarantee Bato's rights'

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Cayetano blasts gov't, Senate leadership for 'failing to guarantee Bato's rights'

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published December 02, 2025 11:44 PM PHT

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Updated December 03, 2025 12:14 AM PHT

Read More:

Bato dela Rosa

ICC

Senate

The Hague

Alan Peter Cayetano

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