Senate President Tito Sotto on Thursday called out Senator Bato dela Rosa for his continued absence from deliberations on the 2026 budget of agencies under his committee, saying the situation was far from acceptable.
In an interview, Sotto stressed that dela Rosa, as committee chairman, had a responsibility to attend the hearings.
“Hindi okay ‘yon. In the first place, (dapat) hindi mo hiniling yung mga chairmanship na ‘yon… Kung hindi mo kaya, hindi mo dapat hiniling na makuha mo yung chairmanship na ‘yon. Especially, vice chairmanship ng budget? National defense,” he said.
Dela Rosa serves as vice chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, which on Thursday tackled the budget of the Department of National Defense (DND).
His absence from Senate sessions in recent weeks comes amid Ombudsman Boying Remulla’s confirmation that an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him is “ready,” linked to the deadly anti-drug campaign under the Duterte administration.
Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Atty. Israelito Torreon, earlier denied reports that the senator had gone into hiding due to the alleged warrant. Dela Rosa is among those rumored to be next in line for arrest following the ICC’s move against former President Rodrigo Duterte.