Philippine officials said on Thursday (May 14) that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, has escaped from the Senate and his whereabouts are currently unknown.
Earlier this week, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been seeking refuge in the Senate to avoid arrest. The 64-year-old dela Rosa served as the head of the national police during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. Reports indicate that there was a confrontation between Senate security personnel and a government agent on Wednesday night, resulting in multiple gunshots and chaos throughout the Senate. Dela Rosa apparently took advantage of the commotion to slip out of the heavily guarded building.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines delivered a late-night televised address urging the public to remain calm. The police are conducting an investigation and suspect that the shooting incident was a premeditated “smokescreen” to facilitate dela Rosa’s escape.
Senate President Alan Cayetano stated during a press conference that he had not seen the ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa and claimed that he had the right to leave freely, dismissing accusations of “obstruction of justice.” However, critics argue that Cayetano and the Senate security chief should bear full responsibility for the situation.
The arrest warrant issued by the ICC on Monday accuses dela Rosa of involvement in Duterte’s “war on drugs” during his tenure as head of the police, implicating him in multiple crimes against humanity. Duterte himself was arrested last March and is currently on trial in The Hague. Both individuals have denied the allegations.
The incident comes amid escalating tensions between the Duterte family and the Marcos Jr. regime. Duterte’s daughter and Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on Monday on charges including misuse of public funds and threats to assassinate the Marcos couple.
Sara Duterte accused the Marcos government of “kidnapping” her father and handing him over to a foreign court. Meanwhile, after being missing for several months, dela Rosa resurfaced last Monday to help his ally Cayetano secure the position of Senate President, following which he was placed under “protective custody” by the Senate to avoid arrest by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
With dela Rosa missing, the Senate is expected to convene an impeachment court as early as next Monday to try Vice President Sara Duterte.