Camille Naredo

Ronald Dela Rosa speaks to the media during an ambush interview at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, to address ongoing issues pertaining to the ICC arrest warrant. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Ronald Dela Rosa speaks to the media during an ambush interview at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, to address ongoing issues pertaining to the ICC arrest warrant. Dela Rosa appeals for understanding and sympathy from his fellow uniformed service comrades.

Article (news)

SENATE- DELA ROSA

Jessie Cruzat

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/177901719011920260513-senate-ronald-bato-dela-rosa-MT1.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Ronald Dela Rosa speaks to the media during an ambush interview at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, to address ongoing issues pertaining to the ICC arrest warrant. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Ronald Dela Rosa speaks to the media during an ambush interview at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, to address ongoing issues pertaining to the ICC arrest warrant. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Senator Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; Dela Rosa should already surrender. </p><p>This is the call of Project Paghilom, a group supporting victims of the war on drugs under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.</p><p>Dela Rosa is the subject of a warrant of arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC), who has identified him as a &quot;co-perpetrator&quot; in the crimes against humanity case against Duterte.</p><p>According to the group, Dela Rosa&#x27;s departure from Senate custody early Thursday morning, May 14, was a clear attempt to evade accountability under the law.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/dela-rosa-s-exit-from-senate-grave-injustice-to-drug-war-victims-groups-say-1737">READ: Dela Rosa&#x27;s exit from Senate &#x27;grave injustice&#x27; to drug war victims, groups say</a></div><p>&quot;Pero dapat ho ay bilang isang taong responsable harapin ang dapat harapin. Sa kanyang mga statement may katapangan at determinasyon siya. Sinabi pa nga niya &#x27;let&#x27;s get it on.&#x27; May statement siyang gano&#x27;n na may lakas loob siya na harapin. Pero bakit ngayon tila nagbago na ang kanyang paninindigan para dito?&quot; said Project Paghilom coordinator Randy Delos Santos on Sunday.</p><p>Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca earlier said Senator Dela Rosa requested to be placed under the custody of the Philippine National Police.</p><p>The camp of war on drugs victims, however, objected to this move. </p><p>&quot;Talagang takasan talaga ito kaya&#x27;t hindi dapat. Galit na galit ang mga biktima sila laging iniipit… Hindi naman pwedeng choosy sila. Biktima ang magpapasya kung saan ang kaso,&quot; said Atty. Maria Kristina Conti, ICC assistant to counsel. </p><p>According to constitutional law expert Atty. Domingo Egon Cayosa, some senators bear direct responsibility for what he described as Senator Dela Rosa&#x27;s escape.</p><p>&quot;Krimen ho ang mag-obstruct ng justice kung ang isang tao whether Senate President ka or ordinaryong mamamayan, if you knowingly impede, frustrate or delay investigation, persecution ng isang akusado or suspect, that may be considered obstruction of justice,&quot; said Cayosa. </p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/14/senate-timeline-what-happened-on-may-13-2026-0040">SENATE TIMELINE: What happened on May 13, 2026</a></div><p>As for Dela Rosa&#x27;s camp arguing that a local court order was necessary before the senator could be arrested, Cayosa argued such a requirement is not needed under Republic Act 9851, or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.</p><p>&quot;Basahin lang po nila &#x27;yong batas. Pero &#x27;yong sasabihin na isu-surrender lang namin kung merong local court order ay gumagawa sila ng sarili nilang batas. Dapat yan since merong warrant of arrest kitang-kita naman nila, magpa-aresto na then kwestyunin mo &#x27;yan sa korte kung gusto mo,&quot; Cayosa added. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/17/gov-t-urges-sc-to-deny-bato-petition-to-block-icc-arrest-warrant-1044">READ: Gov&#x27;t urges SC to deny Bato petition to block ICC arrest warrant</a></div><p>Several experts also believe public trust in government institutions has been seriously affected because of the events in the Senate.</p><p>&quot;Parang ang trust in the Senate as an institution ay medyo bumagsak. Although ang tingin nila &#x27;ay mga bobo naman ang mga Pilipino&#x27; kahit naman anong drama kakagatin nila,&quot; said political analyst Dr. Mariw Fe Villamejor-Mendoza. </p><p>&quot;The problem with lies is not only do they quarrel with the truth. They quarrel among themselves. Sa dami ng lies na sinasabi nila, nagko-contradict na,&quot; Atty. Lorna Kapunan also noted. </p><p>They also argued that some senators are acting not to serve the public, but to protect their own interests.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>MOVEMENT TO OUST SP CAYETANO</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, following the sudden leadership change in the Senate, a group is now pushing to remove Senator Alan Peter Cayetano from his position as Senate President through an online petition. </p><p>Cayetano, however, fired back at his critics.</p><p>&quot;So I hope those who made a judgment, may you be a religious leader, may you be deans of law schools, may you be a private citizen, sabi ko naman po, we accept your criticism, dapat maging aktibista, dapat kalampagin niyo kami, pero if you made a judgment or an accusation, let&#x27;s also have the humility of saying, &#x27;Ay mali pala kami.&#x27; Kasi kita niyo naman pala ho, hindi totoo at propaganda lang, at paninira sa bagong majority, na yung impeachment ang main reason,&quot; said the Senate President on his livestream on social media. </p><p>Cayetano also maintained that the Senate is open to any investigation regarding the reported gunfire incident on Wednesday.</p><p>&quot;Agad-agad na sinecure &#x27;yong CCTV sa Senate. Marami pong theories, maraming haka-haka, maraming nagpu-push ng narrative,&quot; he added. &quot;As soon as I saw the sergeant-at-arms, sinabi ko na parating dito si Secretary Remulla, make sure that in front of them, makita nila ang CCTV, may kopya tayo, may kopya sila.&quot;</p><p>The Senate president also criticized the National Bureau of Investigation for allegedly failing to honor their agreement.</p><p>&quot;Nangako din ang NBI na bibigyan kami ng kopya ng warrant at hindi naman kami binigyan ng kopya. So, hindi pa namin nakikita &#x27;yong warrant. So pano nila sasabihin sa amin na dapat ay dinitain si Senator Bato even assuming that we had the power to detain him,&quot; Cayetano added. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/15/doj-confirms-icc-arrest-warrant-vs-dela-rosa-1625">READ: Dela Rosa will be arrested if he tries to leave PH -- DOJ</a></div><p>Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has ordered an internal investigation into allegations that police officers escorted a black van reportedly used by Senator Dela Rosa when he left the Senate compound on Thursday, May 14.</p><p>The Pasay Police earlier denied providing convoy assistance to any senator.</p>

<p>According to the group, Dela Rosa's departure from Senate custody early Thursday morning, May 14, was a clear attempt to evade accountability under the law.</p>

According to the group, Dela Rosa's departure from Senate custody early Thursday morning, May 14, was a clear attempt to evade accountability under the law.

EJK victims' group calls on Dela Rosa to surrender to ICC

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EJK victims' group calls on Dela Rosa to surrender to ICC

Jessie Cruzat,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 17, 2026 07:29 PM PHT

Read More:

International Criminal Court

ICC

Ronald dela Rosa

Bato dela Rosa

EJK

war on drugs

Oplan Tokhang

Philippine Senate

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