5 senators urge Bato dela Rosa to surrender to ICC

MANILA, Philippines – Five senators signed a resolution on Tuesday, May 12, urging Senator Bato dela Rosa to surrender amid the transmittal of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against him.

“It is hereby resolved by the Senate of the Philippines, to urge Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ M. dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to the proper authorities and seek judicial remedies in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws and rules,” the Senate Resolution No. 395 read.

The senators who prepared and signed the resolution are:

• Former Senate president Tito Sotto
• Senator Bam Aquino
• Senator Risa Hontiveros
• Senator Ping Lacson
• Senator Kiko Pangilinan

Dela Rosa’s November 2025 ICC warrant was made public on Monday, May 11, on the same day that he reappeared at the Senate to back Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s Senate presidency. The former Philippine National Police chief was ordered arrested after the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber found substantial grounds to believe that he is allegedly criminally liable for crimes against humanity.

The ICC warrant said Dela Rosa was allegedly involved in the creation of “a network of perpetrators” responsible for carrying out systematic killings under the war on drugs. Along with his co-perpetrators, Dela Rosa allegedly recruited “individuals they could trust and control.”

Dela Rosa’s reappearance at the Senate also helped his case because he’s using the supposed tradition of no arrest within the Senate premises to evade his ICC warrant.

Several experts and former lawmakers already explained that this practice is not a rule but rather a tradition, which has limitations. Former senator and now Mamamayang Liberal Leila de Lima, for one, said “there is no provision in the Constitution or the laws that states a senator who is the subject of a valid warrant of arrest cannot be arrested within Senate premises.”

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In their resolution, the senators — poised to be members of the Senate minority after the recent shakeup — reiterated the limitations of the Senate’s protective custody powers.

“Resolved further, that the Senate reiterates that it possesses no constitutional or statutory authority to provide ‘protective custody’ or sanctuary from lawful arrest, surrender, or judicial processes,” the resolution read.

“Whereas, Article VI, Section 11 of the Constitution provides only limited privilege from arrest for senators and members of the House of Representatives while Congress is in session, and only for offenses punishable by not more than six (6) years imprisonment, clearly indicating that no blanket immunity or protective custody exists for grave offenses or proceedings authorized under law,” it added. – Rappler.com