Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa was absent Tuesday during the resumption of the Senate plenary session.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III noted that 20 out of 24 senators were present, with Chiz Escudero, Camille Villar, and Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri also absent.
dela Rosa’s absence followed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla’s announcement over the weekend that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant against him. Both the ICC and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have yet to confirm this claim.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin clarified that “dela Rosa would not undergo the same process as former President Rodrigo Duterte, wherein the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Philippine authorities cooperated to act on a notice from the International Police Organization (Interpol).”
The DOJ emphasized that the Philippines will act on an ICC-issued warrant. As of now, dela Rosa has not commented on his absence.