Jamaine Punzalan

Ronald Dela Rosa speaks to the media during an ambush interview at the Philippine Senate on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

SENATE- DELA ROSA

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<p>MANILA -- The Philippine National Police on Tuesday linked a vehicle registered under Sen. Robin Padilla to the departure of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa from the Senate after a <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/dilg-chief-all-evidence-points-no-attack-on-senate-1622">May 13 gunfire. </a></p><p>Dela Rosa had sought refuge at the Senate to evade an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the drug war that he oversaw as former president Rodrigo Duterte&#x27;s police chief. </p><p>On May 13, Senate security personnel and a National Bureau of Investigation employee both fired into the air during a tense confrontation at the Senate complex, forcing legislators to take cover inside their offices.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/dilg-chief-all-evidence-points-no-attack-on-senate-1622">DILG chief: &#x27;All evidence points no attack on Senate&#x27; </a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/timeline-police-explain-what-happened-at-the-senate-shooting-incident-1728">TIMELINE: Police explain what happened at Senate shooting incident </a></div><p>Hours after the chaos, a white Fortuner was seen leaving the Senate premises at around 2:30 a.m. of May 14. </p><p>PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez, Jr. said he would submit to the Department of Justice a video that shows Dela Rosa and Padilla heading to the vehicle. </p><p>&quot;The timeline is May 14 already at about 2:30 a.m. It shows the white Fortuner and personalities going out from the Senate, particularly ang makita natin doon ang Senator Bato and Senator Padilla and going to the vehicle na Fortuner,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Per records inquiry, it is owned by Senator Padilla,&quot; Nartatez added. </p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/19/nbi-says-has-leads-on-bato-s-whereabouts-1017">NBI says has &#x27;leads&#x27; on Dela Rosa&#x27;s whereabouts </a></div><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/18/padilla-mum-on-dela-rosa-s-senate-exit-1621">Dela Rosa hiding from &#x27;kidnapper&#x27; — Padilla</a></div><p>Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla noted that before the gunfire, Dela Rosa was under the protective custody of the Senate.  </p><p>This meant that the Senate should have been ready to surrender Dela Rosa once there is no longer any legal impediment to his arrest, Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida said.  </p><p>&quot;Sa simpleng pagkakaintindi po namin, noong sinabing nasa protective custody nila, nasa kanila si Senator Bato kaya pag wala na yung legal impediment to serving the warrant, dapat &#x27;pag hiningi sa kanila ng Department of Justice, ready dapat ang Senado i-turn over si Senator Bato,&quot; he said. </p><p>Asked what would happen if the Senate failed to do so, Vida said, &quot;Then that&#x27;s something we need to decide at that moment. I don&#x27;t want to preclude yung legal options ng Department of Justice.&quot;  </p><p>Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano earlier said he<a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/13/sp-cayetano-says-dela-rosa-used-his-vehicle-to-enter-senate-in-surprise-appearance-1836"> gave Dela Rosa a ride to the Senate </a>on May 11, where the former police chief narrowly evaded arrest by government agents who chased him up the stairs.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/17/ejk-victims-group-calls-on-dela-rosa-to-surrender-to-icc-1929">EJK victims&#x27; group calls on Dela Rosa to surrender to ICC </a></div><p><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/18/dela-rosa-insists-on-tro-vs-icc-arrest-warrant-2126">Dela Rosa vowed to fight efforts to arrest him</a> and turn him over to the Netherlands-based ICC, as Cayetano forbade government agents from serving him an ICC arrest warrant.</p><p>Cayetano said Dela Rosa&#x27;s disappearance from the Senate was discovered shortly after police announced Thursday the arrest of a person in connection the gunfire.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/18/nbi-driver-tagged-in-senate-shooting-freed-after-posting-bail-1658">NBI driver tagged in Senate shooting freed after posting bail </a></div><p>Dela Rosa was the national police chief from 2016-2018 during the first two years of Duterte&#x27;s anti-narcotics crackdown that killed thousands and now faces ICC allegations.</p><p>Duterte was arrested in March last year over an ICC case stemming from drug war killings and flown to the Netherlands, where he is being held in The Hague awaiting trial.</p><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/N0y-AXUd67k?&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/AF1sHrGfIOE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Philippine National Police on Tuesday linked a vehicle registered under Sen. Robin Padilla to the departure of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa from the Senate after a May 13 gunfire. </p>

The Philippine National Police on Tuesday linked a vehicle registered under Sen. Robin Padilla to the departure of Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa from the Senate after a May 13 gunfire.

PNP links Padilla vehicle to Dela Rosa's Senate exit

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PNP links Padilla vehicle to Dela Rosa's Senate exit

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published May 19, 2026 06:20 PM PHT

|

Updated May 20, 2026 07:04 AM PHT

Read More:

Dela Rosa

Padilla

ICC

Senate

Senate shooting

PNP

Bato Dela Rosa

Robin Padilla

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