De Lima says her Senate absences not comparable to Bato dela Rosa’s

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January 11, 2026 | 3:51pm

MANILA, Philippines — Rep. Leila M. de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list) rejected comparisons between her past non-attendance at Senate sessions and the situation of Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, saying the circumstances are “not the same.”

In a statement on Sunday, January 11, De Lima said Senate President Vicente Sotto III should not liken her case, or that of former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, to Dela Rosa’s, stressing that her absence from Senate sessions during her incumbency was involuntary.

“I could not be physically present in the Senate because I was in detention to face the fabricated charges filed against me then by the Duterte administration. On the other hand, Sen. Bato is running away from possible arrest by the ICC (International Criminal Court),” De Lima’s statement read. 

Despite her detention, De Lima maintained that she continued to fulfill her legislative duties as a senator, filing numerous bills, some of which eventually became law, even under restrictive conditions.

“Kahit nakakulong ako noon at kahit mahirap dahil wala akong kahit anumang gadget, nagtatrabaho po ako bilang Senador sa pagpa-file ko ng maraming bills na ilan sa kanila ay naging batas,” De Lima said. 

(Even though I was detained back then and despite the difficulty of not having any gadgets at all, I still performed my duties as a Senator by filing numerous bills, several of which have already been enacted into law.)

“Nakiusap pa nga ako na mag-participate sa online sessions and hearings ng Senate during pandemic dahil ginagawa naman na yun, pero hindi napagbigyan ng mayorya ng Senado,” she added.

(I even requested to participate in the Senate's online sessions and hearings during the pandemic since that was already being practiced, but the Senate majority did not grant my request.)

De Lima argued that her legislative output, as well as her efforts to participate in plenary sessions and committee hearings despite what she described as unjust detention, demonstrate her commitment to public service.

“Wag nyo naman po kaming gamiting excuse sa hindi pagdisiplina sa isang delinkwenteng senador,” she said. 

(Please do not use us as an excuse for failing to discipline a delinquent senator.)

Dela Rosa has not been appearing at the Senate since November 2025, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla revealed that the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest against him.

However, he was seen in a Facebook post dated December 17 with lawyer Israelito Torreon at a mall in Davao City. 

Despite his absence, Sotto said that Dela Rosa’s office continued to function. He admitted that there was nothing they could do to compel him to appear at the Senate, except for one thing.

“The only time that you can force a senator to be present is if you need their vote,” Sotto said in a mix of English and Filipino.