Human rights advocates and progressive groups formally filed an obstruction of justice complaint with the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday, June 3, targeting Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and Senator Robin Padilla regarding the reported May 14 escape of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca was also included in the charge sheet for his alleged involvement in helping Dela Rosa flee.
Led by advocacy group Tindig Pilipinas, convenor Kiko Aquino-Dee explained that the legal action aims to reinforce the fundamental standard that no government official is above the law.
”The rule of law requires accountability. Public office must never be used as a shield against justice,” Dee said prior to the filing.
Dee emphasized that those in power must not exploit their offices to dodge legal liabilities.
”When officials use their positions to frustrate lawful processes and protect their allies from accountability, they betray the public trust and undermine our democratic institutions,” he added.
According to Dee, this petition is part of a broader movement to combat impunity and demand justice for the victims of the state’s war on drugs and their families.
The Ombudsman filing coincides with a parallel probe by the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The CIDG recently recommended that the Department of Justice (DOJ) indict Padilla, his female deputy chief of staff (a retired military officer), and four others, including two of Padilla’s relatives.
CIDG investigators stated they uncovered ample proof that Dela Rosa’s escape was a highly coordinated, premeditated plot, with Padilla allegedly acting as the mastermind behind the getaway.
At a media briefing, CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II noted that investigators are linking Dela Rosa’s escape to a reported May 13 shooting incident at the Senate. However, he clarified that the final determination to prosecute remains with the DOJ.
The DOJ had earlier ordered the CIDG to spearhead the investigation into both the escape and the Senate gunfire incident, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously dismissed as a hoax.
Tindig Pilipinas noted that its Ombudsman complaint is separate from the DOJ’s ongoing case buildup, asserting that everyday citizens have the right to demand accountability from leaders accused of malfeasance.
In an official statement, the coalition noted:
“This case is not simply about one individual but about defending the integrity of public institutions and ensuring that accountability mechanisms function without political interference.”
The group concluded by urging the anti-graft body to meticulously review the claims and penalize any proven misconduct.
”We call on the Office of the Ombudsman to conduct an impartial investigation and ensure that public officials who obstruct justice are held accountable under the law,” the group added.