House prosecution panel spokespersons have challenged Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to show the same “commitment” and courage by physically attending the upcoming Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, rather than participating remotely.
The call from Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong comes amid a push by the Senate majority to allow Dela Rosa to participate and vote in legislative proceedings online.
Dela Rosa has been largely in hiding since November 2025 due to an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his role as the chief architect of the Duterte administration’s controversial war on drugs.
Adiong referenced Dela Rosa’s dramatic return to the Senate on May 11 after a five-month absence, where he evaded National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents to cast a decisive vote in the Senate coup that installed Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President.
“Let us remember, physical presence is important in legislation. The rules to require physical presence of legislators were actually [intended] to inculcate among members the deep commitment to good work,” Adiong said.
Recalling how the Davao City senator reportedly sustained minor injuries while breaking through security cordons to enter the Senate building, Adiong argued that this level of effort should not be reserved solely for political power shifts.
“There was a sort of, may nasugatan (someone was injured), Senator Bato de la Rosa, because he needed to really break into the cordon of securities precluding him from entering the premises and to me…That is the kind of commitment that we expect from the senators, to be able to participate in legislative matters, especially if they are deciding on a very important subject matter,” Adiong pointed out.
“But that kind of commitment should be applied to all other legislative work that the Senate would indulge itself in. It does not only require that kind of commitment when there is a decision to change the leadership that is my point. That’s how commitment the public would expect from the senator,” he added, stressing that virtual participation dilutes public trust and meticulous legislative scrutiny.
Echoing Adiong’s sentiments, Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co, also a spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, asserted that Dela Rosa must face his legal battles with the ICC before the Senate alters its rules to accommodate him.
“So dumadagdag po talaga ‘yung interpretation and even ‘yung clamor ng legal authorities na kailangan lang pong boluntaryong pagsuko ni Sen Bato. Kailangan mangyari ‘yun before any discussion of Senate rules and how it will affect his participation. And the processes na dapat ‘yung mga proseso na nakaabang sa kanya sa legal ay harapin na po muna niya,” (So the interpretation and even the clamor from legal authorities are mounting that Senator Bato really needs to surrender voluntarily. That needs to happen before any discussion of Senate rules and how it will affect his participation. He should first face the legal processes awaiting him.) Co stated.
Dela Rosa is the first former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief targeted by the Hague-based tribunal, while his former principal, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, is already under ICC custody.