MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday confirmed that Sen. Ronald dela Rosa was no longer inside the Senate building following tensions and gunfire incidents that rocked the Senate complex overnight.
During a press briefing, Cayetano said he received information from Sen. Jinggoy Estrada around 1:27 p.m. indicating that Dela Rosa may have already left the premises.
“I immediately checked with my chief of staff and asked the Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms for a report,” Cayetano said. “The Sergeant-at-Arms later confirmed that Sen. Bato was no longer in the building.”
The Senate chief also disclosed that Dela Rosa’s wife sent a message to the chamber’s majority bloc, appealing for unity amid the controversy.
According to Cayetano, the message expressed regret over the confusion caused by the senator’s departure and explained that Dela Rosa decided to leave to avoid placing senators, employees, and security personnel at further risk.
“He believed that as long as he remained inside, more people would be dragged into the situation,” Cayetano said.
The Senate President denied accusations that Dela Rosa had “escaped,” insisting the senator was not under arrest at the time he left the premises.
“When you escape, you are under arrest or detention. He was neither,” Cayetano said. “Sen. Bato chose to leave.”
Cayetano also defended the Senate’s handling of the situation after gunshots were heard inside the Senate compound late Wednesday night.
Based on reports he received, Senate security personnel allegedly fired warning shots after individuals from the opposite side attempted to enter the complex despite repeated verbal warnings.
“The initial count was 27 shots from inside the Senate and five from the other side,” he said.
The Senate President added that the National Bureau of Investigation repeatedly assured Senate officials that no NBI operatives had been deployed to the area during the incident.
“If the NBI is going to treat this issue with candor, then they should tell us the truth because we have a serious problem,” he said.
Cayetano said he still trusts the Philippine National Police and the Department of the Interior and Local Government, noting that both agencies gave assurances regarding the situation.
He also ordered that two copies of the Senate CCTV footage be secured — one for the Senate and another for Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla — and called for the videos to be released publicly.
“The CCTV footage should be made public,” he said.
Cayetano likewise reiterated his position that only arrest warrants issued by Philippine courts should be enforced in the country, amid ongoing issues linked to the International Criminal Court investigation.
He also criticized statements made by NBI Director Melvin Matibag, claiming inaccuracies in the agency’s public explanation of the incident.
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