Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s one-on-one interview with Jessica Soho | Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho

In the Philippines, on Monday, during a vote for impeachment in Congress and in the Senate, the leader suddenly changed and the long -absent Senator Bato de la Rosa suddenly appeared.

There are NBI and SIDG operatives who will come here to arrest me.

It suddenly suspended.It looks like something big is going to happen today.I suddenly rushed to the exit.There are a lot of news about developments.We need to be careful because we don't know what will happen from here on.There are news that Senator De La Rosa might be arrested.

We're going to arrest somebody.

We are going to arrest somebody.

How can we do the operation with you?Please clear the area.

and 13 of May, the Senate is already tensed, outside and even inside.

This is how it is, son.The saying of, I'm not finished.Not the, I have the floor, with the burning eyes, and a very high voice.

So my suggestion is the Ethics case, and that's where our Ethics Committee will discuss this, because there are many other more important things in my belief.

Senator Padilla, We tried to get a statement from Senator Padilla, Senator Kiko Pangilinan, but he refused.We are still outside the Executive Lounge here in the Senate, where the Senators are being sanctioned and suspended.The media suddenly rushed here outside.A lot of people are gathering here.

But it was quickly settled.

the country.

November 2025, Senator Ronald Bato de la Rosa disappeared like a ghost.After the news broke that he would be arrested by the ICC or the International Criminal Court because of the case of Crimes Against Humanity.After 6 months, this Monday, May 11, everyone was shocked when he suddenly disappeared.Why are you here, sir?If I don't go in, you're looking for me.He complained to the NBI agents that he was caught red -handed until he fell to the ground.

Because Senator De la Rosa was present, his allies gained more power.The minority became the majority.They now have the Senate.And the new Senate President is Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.But from that session, Senator Bato has not yet left the Senate because he will be arrested.May 13, I interviewed him.

This is his last sit -down interview before he got into trouble in the Senate.Senator de la Rosa, maraming salamat po sa interview na ito.

Maraming salamat din sa 'yo, Jessica, sa pagkakataon na ako muli mong i -interviewin.

Tatlong araw na ho kayo nakatira dito sa Senado?

Opo.

Kamusta ho?

Okay lang naman po.I am very happy because almost every day, there are many supporters who come up and express their support.So we are alive with blood.

Can you tell us, from the start, when you came back to the Senate after six months, that you were absent?

My colleagues called me and told me that I need to be here in the Senate for the vote.I have been planning for a long time to resurface because aside from the plan of change of leadership, I know that there will be an impeachment trial.Those are our jobs.Thirdly, I am ashamed of what the judges told us, that we are receiving salary from the government, we are not working.We are working, our office is having a pension, But of all these, why that day?

Because they said there was a vote?

Yes, there was a vote.

And what was the vote about?

Change of leadership of the Senate.So if I don't come, we won't be able to get the vote.dahil ako ang pagtertend vote.

So parang may ku, may ku ng leadership ng Senado?

Yeah, yeah.

Pwede ko malaman sinong tumawag po sa inyo?

Si Senator Alan Quetano.Our majority leader.

How did you get here?I heard you drove a different car.

I was in a van.

Whose van was it?

I don't know what kind of van it was.But Senator Alan told me to get in the van.

Did you know that someone was waiting for you?

If I knew that someone was waiting for me, I wouldn't have gotten in.

Then, tell me when you got in.

When I got in, there were people sitting at the side of the door.Two women and men.I thought they were women.The senator was just a staff member, not a driver.When I passed by, they stood up and stopped me.Sir, sir, sir, sir, we're the NBI.

He grabbed my arm and I ran.I ran until I reached the session hall.

Oh, that's what you said, you were wrestling.Yes, that's what I said.Because you were running.

Yes, I was running.

I think Director Matibag's NBI said that's why you were injured.You tripped.

I tripped.

Not because you were wrestling.

No, no.I tripped while I was running.Why did you trip?Overspeeding.I did a run for your life.Run!

Run as fast as you can so you can make it to the session hall.

But there are a lot of people who are laughing at you.They are looking down on you because of your fall.

It's okay.It's their happiness.Let's give them their happiness.

What happened to your hand?Can I see it?

These are the wounds.It's just minor.It's not a fracture?No, it's just a scratch.

And when you got to the session hall, what happened?

I told my colleagues to block me from going down there.

How are you and former Senate President Soto?

I'm okay.I have high respect for him.

An NBI representative.came to see me and told me they have a warrant of arrest for Senator de la Rosa.I said, coordinate with OSA.

I didn't realize that he was coming.Is this connected to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte?

We can't say it's connected.Alan and I didn't talk about it, that you voted for the impeachment of VP Sara.What they said is, you need to come here so we can steal the majority.That's normal in the Senate.There is no minority that wants to remain a minority forever.

But I can't avoid the speculation that he is there to vote for Sara Duterte in her impeachment.What can you say to that?

That's my duty to vote.So they cannot question me for being here.and to sit as a senator judge because it is my duty as a senator.I was with the fowls of the air and the beasts of the field.I was all over the Philippines but I never went out from the Philippine jurisdiction because I am a Filipino.

In your state of mind now, I watched your interviews earlier.Sometimes you cry, you sing.How would you consider this period of your life?

Very abnormal.

What is on your mind now that you are in this position, that you are almost living here.

I leave it up to God.Whatever God desires, I will follow.God's plan is perfect.

Some people say, before he said he wanted to join, why didn't he go now that he was arrested to be brought there?

My position changed because when President Digong was already there and the Davao residents were visiting, he couldn't just visit there, but only the immediate family could see him.And if, for example, I was imprisoned there, There's no guarantee that we'll be in the same cell and I can visit him.There's no guarantee.So it defeats my purpose of going there.If that's what will happen, we won't be together.

But if you'll be jailed in The Hague, in the ICC facilities, at least you'll be together.Isn't that what you wanted, you said before?

It depends if we'll be in the same cell.We're together, but if not, it's far away.Even if it's near or far, there won't be any communication between us.It depends on the purpose.

I'll just qualify.So you're willing to go to jail as long as your cell is close to Digong?

For sure.

You're willing to go to jail.Why don't you want to join?

From the very beginning, my stance is that I do not recognize the jurisdiction of ICC in our country.Because we are no longer a member of the ICC.Our government is in no obligation.to effect the warrant of arrest issued by ICC.So if you want, let me go.Put me on the cross here in our country.

Not in the country of the Banyagas.

So it's okay for you to be jailed here in the Philippines?Just here in the Philippines.You don't want to go to The Hague?I don't want.Delarosa served as the Chief of Police of Davao City from 2012 to 2013 while former President Rodrigo Duterte was still a mayor.and Dela Rosa became a Senator.

Dela Rosa was also charged in the ICC or the International Criminal Court.According to the arrest warrant of the ICC, Dela Rosa has a motive.as an important role or indirect co -perpetrator in the bloody war on drugs of the Duterte administration.From the time Senator Bato entered the Senate on Monday to Wednesday, he was granted protective custody.I also interviewed Attorney Israelito Bobet Turion, the lawyer of Senator Bato.What is the main petition?

There is grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of the Philippine government authorities especially the executive department in their continued cooperation with the ICC despite the fact that we already withdrew from the Rome Statute effective March 17 of 2019.

of the above six years was arrested inside the Senate.The late Senator Enrile, Senator Delima, me in 2018.It was only Bato who escaped and was protected.of the Senate even though they know it's wrong.

Go ahead, make my day, Mr. Trillanes!

The International Criminal Court, when it was arranged by the Community of Nations, the Philippines sent a representative there.So we were one of the architects and founders.This is an international court and not a foreign court.The ICC retained the jurisdiction for the crimes that happened when we were still a state party.The scope of the investigation is the time when we were still members.In other words, it can really be a litigation.

de la Rosa of the ICC can really straighten up.

How is the Senate?It's very chaotic.

We are chaotic.We cannot be chaotic.Whether the chaos is coming internally or externally, the change is very political and very The ICC is violating their own rules.And then, kahit sinong Pilipino dito, walang remedy.

Pero, nalipad na po nila sa dahig si former president.

That's why hiniwalay ko yun.Kasi ngayon, ano pa magagawa natin?Hintay na lang yung Supreme Court sa tamang oras.Ang isang rule ng ICC, after one year na umalis ka, hindi ka na pwede mag -order ng investigation.Dapat within one year.President Duterte, after one year, was still upheld.

Does it matter that the ICC already has ruled that they have jurisdiction over Duterte?

It matters more because...They violated their own treaty.So what will happen to us?

Earlier, I noticed in the session hall, we felt and saw the tension between the senators.

We just need a balancing act.But this is a question.Since the president and vice president are fighting, the congress and vice president are fighting, do the senators want to be peacemakers?or do you want to be one of the same?Let's be the salt and light.I have to admit, it's difficult.

I mean, the first day of Monday is not the day I expected.

There are NBI and SIBG operatives who will come here to arrest me.

At 6 p .m.when the session ended and the ruling of the Supreme Court came out that they will not give the TRO or the Temporary Restraining Order to Senator Bato against his ICC arrest warrant.We're still outside the Executive Lounge here in the Senate, where the senators were shot inside.At 7 p .m.

, the Acting Sergeant at Arms, or Chief of Security of the Senate, General Mau Aplasca, will appear in the media.

We are going to arrest somebody.How can we do the operation with you?Please clear the area.

At that time, some members of the media were still inside the Senate, including our team.Outside, the police and rallyists barricaded themselves.7 -18.Senator Bato and Senator Robin Padilla entered the elevator.Until the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte from the Congress arrived in the Senate.The Senate was alarmed when an armed group entered.

Members of the MSEG or Marine Security and Escort Group.Next, we heard the sound of a drill on the old door on the ground floor of the building.The sound came from the building of the GSIS, which is connected to the Senate.Because it is not clear where the sound came from, the people in the Senate continued to suspect that someone is trying to break in.Later on, on the second floor of the Senate, this is what our team witnessed that was left there.

We are allegedly under attack.My number one priority.I will not arrest Senator Bato, just to be clear.

In this posted video, the Senators said that they are safe, but they did not mention that Senator Bato is not with them.NBI Director Melvin Matibag said that the gunshots came from their house.

We don't have a gun.there and there was no order to arrest Senator Bato.

There was no instruction from anyone to arrest Senator Bato.

In the investigation conducted by PNP -SOCO or Scene of the Crime Operatives, 32 bullets were found.While the investigation was being conducted, Senator Bato, who is still holding hands with the police, was also seen.His lawyer, Atty.Torreon ng Litrato, also posted evidence that Senator Dela Rosa is in the Senate.

I showed it to you.Here it is, 12 .13am.

In the investigation, it was found out where the sound of the gunshot came from, which added tension.According to the NBI, GSIS was behind the shooting of the door.They did it so that no one could enter.

They are removing the lock because the access from the Senate going to GSIS, Susi will be the one going to the Senate.

That's why the NBI members are in the GSIS on Monday afternoon and night, because the GSIS asked for the NBI's help for the security of their house.We were told by the Sergeant -at -Arms of the Senate, General Aplasca, that he was the one who fired the warning shot.

I told them who they were.The NBI agents answered.I told them to lower their guns.Instead of lowering down their firearm, they raised their guns.That's why we fired the warning shot.

The big question now is, where is Senator Batog?

There's no water, so he's free to go.

Because of this, Senator Padilla of the NBI is also considered a person of interest.

If the Executive is enforcing the warrant because Bato Dela Rosa wanted to be considered as an international fugitive if he did not surrender, that is what we call obstruction of justice.

All of this is happening in tandem.The things in politics are not happening out of nothing.Let's face the fact that everything that is happening now is directed towards him, no one else but the 2028 elections.

Approximately 6 ,000 to 30 ,000 were killed in the war against drugs by the Duterte administration.One of the victims of Duterte's bloody war against drugs was Danilo, construction worker, mister of Purisima.

He was the breadwinner.He was the one who brought us to life.My only job was as a flag bearer.

Last night, on August 3, 2017, they were shocked when armed men came to their house in Caloocan.

When they entered our house, I felt sorry for them.We saw that they had already lifted the armalight to shoot.Then, there was a gunshot.It was really painful for me to see them being killed.They shouldn't have done it because they were addicted or pushed.They really need to be killed.

The government has a process.If rehab is really used, the solution is not to kill right away.We, the poor, are the victims of war on drugs, not the high -ranking officials.

What can you say to those who say that we are the victims?our children, father, here we are fighting, here's Bato, he's running.

They say, let's change our position.That's a basic human instinct if your life and liberty is at stake.

What can you say to those who died?

I feel sorry for all those who died.

President Duterte has heard this many times, that he will order all the law enforcement agencies to kill the drug users.

That's just hyperbole.

Because you are the chief PNP, shouldn't you be accountable?

Give me an evidence that President Duterte said, let's kill all of them.Nothing.Because I'm a policeman.I know how to do my job properly.With so many targets, some of them fought back.We really expected someone to die.

What you're saying now, there are actual dead bodies and not just 6 ,000, but it could reach 30 ,000.

Those who are bloating the numbers are the people who fought against Duterte.How many cases did they present in the ICC?They said 12 ,000.How many presidents were there?36 or 40 plus?

Even if you say that you didn't follow the President's orders back then, there are dead bodies as evidence.

There are dead bodies, but don't say that you're the only one who did it, that it's all extrajudicial killing.Investigate each case one by one.Whatever happened there, find out the truth.

To the human rights lawyer, Attorney Maria Cristina Conti, who is now serving as assistant to counsel for victims

of EJK in the ICC.For the victims, it's important for the case to continue.They have a far -reaching dream of being jailed.Because here in the Philippines, no one is jailed for being rich and powerful.What's worse is that they will be ruined.That's why they died, because they were drug addicts.

It's like they don't have the right to go to court.

In November 2025, the ICC issued an arrest warrant to Senator Bato.Senator Bato de la Rosa is now included in the wanted persons list of the ICC.

Senator Bato is a sitting senator.Yes.Right?But if you have an attempt to leave the Philippines, wait, this is a different story.

What about those who say, Bato became the PNP chief, the chief implementer of the law when he was the chief PNP, then he became a senator, legislator, lawmaker.So you're supposed to be a man of law.That's the expectation from you.Why don't you just submit to the law?now that the ICC wants you to account for the thousands of extrajudicial killings.

My actions are in accordance to the law.

What else do you plan to do?

Exhaust all available legal remedies.

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