Cheyenne Suarez

'Para maproteksiyonan ang interes nila': Trillanes accuses Cayetano-led Senate of creating 'constitutional crisis'

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1778558880216composites 2 (4).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano. <em>Photos by Daniel Dean Jacob and Angie de Silva, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday accused Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano of creating a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot; over his handling of Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the brutal war on drugs. </p><p>Dela Rosa is now holed up at the Senate following a<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/in-video-call-with-supporters-bato-claims-divine-help-in-evading-arrest-ahead-of-senate-coup-0652"> failed attempt</a> on Monday by the National Bureau of Investigation to arrest him. CCTV footage showed Dela Rosa being chased by NBI agents, who had later figured in a standoff with Senate Sergeant-at-Arms personnel.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/-malaking-kahihiyan-trillanes-blasts-coward-bato-for-evading-arrest-reminds-him-of-2024-dare-0844">&#x27;Malaking kahihiyan&#x27;: Trillanes blasts &#x27;coward&#x27; Bato for evading arrest, reminds him of 2024 &#x27;dare&#x27;</a></div><p>Trillanes on Monday presented the ICC arrest warrant against Dela Rosa, which the tribunal later <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/icc-confirms-arrest-warrant-against-dela-rosa-2111">confirmed</a> to be legitimate. But Cayetano vowed that he would not allow Dela Rosa to be captured based on an international warrant and said local courts could only enforce a valid arrest.</p><p>In an interview on ANC, Trillanes accused the Cayetano-led Senate of initiating a &quot;constitutional crisis&quot; by the way he dealt with Dela Rosa&#x27;s situation.</p><p>&quot;I&#x27;m just hoping that this leadership change is temporary at the soonest time possible mapalitan na ito para ma-restore yung sanity at dignity ng Senado,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;Kasi ito yung ginagawa nila, they&#x27;re creating one constitutional crisis after another para lang maproteksiyonan nila yung interes nila pero hindi naman tatagal &#x27;yon.&quot;</p><p>Dela Rosa made the surprise attendance Monday following a six-month absence at the Senate. He joined a coup led by his colleagues allied with the Vice President to oust Sen. Vicente Sotto III and install Cayetano as the new leader of the chamber, which is now constitutionally mandated to try the Vice President following her<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/-2nd-eye-ok-house-impeaches-sara-duterte-again-1702"> impeachment </a>at the House.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/cayetano-claims-dela-rosa-threatened-with-arrest-to-keep-him-from-voting-0112">Cayetano claims Dela Rosa threatened with arrest to keep him from voting for new Senate President</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>DOMESTIC LAW, SC RULING</strong></div><p>According to Cayetano, the Senate has approved a <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/cayetano-claims-dela-rosa-threatened-with-arrest-to-keep-him-from-voting-0112">resolution </a>requiring that a Philippine court produce its own warrant should a foreign tribunal issues an arrest order.</p><p>But Trillanes said a Senate resolution, which does not have a legal effect and usually only reflects the sentiment of lawmakers, cannot &quot;supersede&quot; a law. The former senator said a domestic law, Republic Act No. 9851, penalizing international crimes against humanity can be cited as a basis for Dela Rosa&#x27;s looming arrest. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/17/dela-rosa-to-turn-in-himself-when-senate-protection-ends-over-possible-icc-warrant-1112">FROM THE ARCHIVES: Dela Rosa says to turn himself in when Senate protection from possible ICC arrest ends</a></div><p>&quot;Hindi puwedeng suddenly magsabi sila, &#x27;O based on a Senate resolution exempted na kami sa lahat ng krimen.&#x27; That&#x27;s absurd, di ba? So mananaig pa rin kung ano ang batas,&quot; he said.</p><p>Section 17 of Republic Act No. 9851 states: &quot;[T]he authorities may surrender or extradite suspected or accused persons in the Philippines to the appropriate international court, if any, or to another State pursuant to the applicable extradition laws and treaties.&quot;</p><p>Trillanes also mentioned the Supreme Court ruling that upheld the jurisdiction of the ICC over the Philippines, which officially withdrew in 2019 from the Rome Statute that created the international tribunal.</p><p>&quot;Yung ICC warrant, based &#x27;yan sa Rome Statute na pinirmahan natin noong 2011, hanggang 2019 member tayo. At nakalagay doon sa Rome Statute na kahit umalis ka sa Rome Statute ay &#x27;yung panahon na covered ka ay covered pa rin &#x27;yun. Ni-recognize ng Korte Suprema &#x27;yon,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;And we have a local law to reinforce that. So ano&#x27;ng pinagsasasabi ni Cayetano rito?&quot;</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/nbi-chief-matibag-dela-rosa-will-not-be-arrested-while-under-senate-custody-2308">NBI chief Matibag: Dela Rosa will not be arrested while under Senate custody</a></div><p>Lawyer Domingo Cayosa, constitutional law expert and former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, said he believed that the Senate protection for Dela Rosa was just temporary to avoid escalation of tension.</p><p>He however said the institution has no business of shielding the senator from a potential arrest, noting that Dela Rosa&#x27;s warrant covers crimes against humanity that has more than six years of imprisonment as a penalty and that his temporary immunity from arrest while Senate is in session cannot be applied.</p><p>If law enforcement authorities were serious with their obligation, Cayosa said, they would execute the warrant of arrest regardless of the Senate&#x27;s orders. He also warned that a continued protection by the chamber to Dela Rosa could amount to obstruction of justice.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/bato-camp-files-supplemental-motion-at-sc-vs-icc-arrest-warrant-1129">Bato camp confirms seeking Supreme Court intervention vs ICC warrant</a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/11/cayetano-says-senate-will-follow-law-constitution-on-duterte-impeachment-2054">Cayetano says Senate will follow law, Constitution on Duterte impeachment</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS:</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hGRPcG8p_lQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Oqo9B-FpUjE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Lgn6BsHm7Ds?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday accused Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano of creating a "constitutional crisis" over his handling of Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the brutal war on drugs.</p>

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on Tuesday accused Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano of creating a "constitutional crisis" over his handling of Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for his role in the brutal war on drugs.