Tovic Salvador

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Karen De Guzman

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — The Senate of the Philippines should explain how Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa managed to leave while under its protective custody, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2054838489146134681&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-05-14T10%3A20%3A17.386516%3A401ad918-73d1-415e-9817-9136d0f2de0e%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=306a0a51ddd082c225cd178fc41b3a1cdc352cb3&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:599px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="2054838489146134681"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>In an ambush interview with ABS-CBN News, Matibag stressed that responsibility now lies with the Senate after authorities confirmed that the senator was no longer inside the premises. </p><p>“Malinaw naman sabi ng Senate, protective custody nila. So ibig sabihin sila dapat ang sumagot. Sagutin dapat ni Senate President at nung mga senador paano nangyari, ‘di ba?” Matibag said. </p><p>Asked whether cases would be filed against Senate officials, the NBI chief said no discussions have been made so far.</p><p>“Wala pa tayong pinag-usapan na gano&#x27;n sila muna siguro. Tingnan natin kung papaano,” he said. </p><p>Matibag also said the NBI no longer plans to furnish Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano with a copy of the arrest warrant, noting that dela Rosa is no longer at the Senate.</p><p>“Hindi na natin sila bibigyan siguro ng kopua kasi wala naman si Senator Bato na roon eh. Dapat itinago, bibigyan namin sila ng kopya,” he explained. </p><p>The development comes amid ongoing questions surrounding the circumstances of dela Rosa’s alleged escape from the Senate while authorities were attempting to serve the warrant.</p><p>Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court. </p><div><a class="fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/13/bato-dela-rosa-now-officially-included-in-icc-s-wanted-persons-list-1721">Bato dela Rosa now officially included in ICC&#x27;s wanted persons list</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;NO OBSTRUCTION OF JUSTICE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Cayetano meanwhile rejected claims that Dela Rosa “escaped” authorities, arguing that no obstruction of justice was committed because there was &quot;no arrest warrant presented&quot; against him.</p><p>“Walang obstruction of justice,” Cayetano said during a press briefing Thursday at the Senate. </p><p>“To obstruct justice, you have to know. Hinahabol ka nila, wala kang mapakitang warrant sa akin, tinago kita, walang obstruction of justice doon.”</p><p>Cayetano also questioned the warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying Philippine authorities cannot automatically recognize such documents without proper presentation.</p><p>“We don’t take judicial notice of that stuff. They have to come to us and present it,” he said.</p><p>Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday presented a copy of the alleged ICC warrant against Dela Rosa. </p><p>The document, dated Nov. 6, 2025, was made public earlier this week.</p><p>“They said they have a secret warrant. Sinabi ng ICC na under their rules, puwede nilang i-secret ‘yong warrant. That’s why tumakbo si Senator Bato sa Supreme Court kasi hindi niya nakita,” he said.</p><p>According to Cayetano, a Philippine-issued warrant would still be necessary before authorities can arrest a Filipino citizen such as Dela Rosa.</p><p>The ICC has unsealed and confirmed the arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.</p><p>The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber 1 identified Dela Rosa &quot;as an alleged indirect co-perpetrator pursuant to article 25(3)(a) of the Statute for the crimes against humanity within the Court’s jurisdiction of murder and attempted murder(articles 7(1)(a) and 23(3)(f) of the Statute), committed in the Philippines between 1 November 2011 and 16 March 2019.&quot;</p><p>The period covers alleged summary killings while former President Rodrigo Duterte was Davao City mayor and during the government&#x27;s &quot;war on drugs&quot; while he was president. </p><p>Dela Rosa served as Davao City police chief, and later Philippine National Police chief under Duterte.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/bato-has-left-senate-premises-1107">Cayetano: Bato no longer at Senate</a></div>

<p>The Senate of the Philippines should explain how Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa managed to leave while under its protective custody, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said.</p>

The Senate of the Philippines should explain how Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa managed to leave while under its protective custody, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Atty. Melvin Matibag said.

NBI: Senate must answer for Dela Rosa’s ‘escape’ from protective custody

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NBI: Senate must answer for Dela Rosa’s ‘escape’ from protective custody

Karen De Guzman,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 14, 2026 05:39 PM PHT

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