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Sen. Ronald dela Rosa is pacified by colleagues as his return to the Senate was marred by an altercation with NBI agents reportedly serving an arrest order from the ICC.
Senate Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has granted Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa protection from arrest.
Ending a months-long absence, Dela Rosa yesterday made a dramatic return to the Senate to cast a crucial vote in a leadership coup.
In a chase recorded on surveillance video, operatives of the National Bu reau of Investigation attempted to ap prehend Dela Rosa, who accused the NBI of physical assault.
Later in the evening, a scuffle erupted between NBI agents and personnel of the Senate sergeant-at arms, prompting NBI Director Melvin Matibag to show up to help defuse the situation.
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a critic of Dela Rosa, joined NBI op eratives with an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
The ICC has confirmed ordering the arrest of Dela Rosa as one of the “co-perpetrators” of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte in his crimes against humanity case.
Dela Rosa asked the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday to stop his “warrantless arrest.”
Through the law firm of Israelito Torreon, Dela Rosa asked the SC for “immediate judicial protection against what now appears to be a coordinated, three-layered enforcement strategy against (Dela Rosa), despite the absence of any warrant issued by a Philippine court.”
“The International Crimi nal Court confirms that the document published by na tional authorities of the Re public of the Philippines and circulated in media is indeed a formal ICC document. This arrest warrant against Mr. Ro nald Marapon Dela Rosa was issued confidentially, under seal, by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC on 6 November 2025,” ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet told reporters.
“The ICC is currently in the process of unsealing the warrant of arrest,” it added.
Dela Rosa’s appearance helped provide the defining numbers to install Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as the new Senate president, unseating Vicente Sotto III.
Under Cayetano’s leader ship, the Senate approved a motion placing Dela Rosa under its protective custody.
Closed-circuit television footage showed Dela Rosa running away from NBI agents.
The Senate was locked down for a while to prevent Dela Rosa’s arrest.
Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said law enforcement agencies will act on the ICC arrest warrant if it appears.
Before Dela Rosa’s ap pearance, the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) yesterday served a subpoena on him in connection with an ongoing probe into alleged extrajudi cial killings in Davao.
CIDG agents did not find Dela Rosa at his Davao City residence and Senate office. He has been absent from the Senate since November 2025.
Dela Rosa must appear before police Lt. Col. Jerome Bargamento of the CIDG ma jor crimes investigation unit on May 14 at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Failure to comply without valid justification could lead to indirect contempt charges.
Trillanes released a copy of the 16-page ICC document.
He told The STAR that the arrest warrant was com municated “through proper channels.” — Janvic Mateo, Ghio Ong, Rainier Allan Ronda, Edith Regalado
