Bato dela Rosa no longer in the Senate, senator says

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is no longer in the Senate, a senator confirmed Thursday.

According to the senator, a member of the Senate secretariat said Dela Rosa left the Senate premises early Thursday morning. The secretariat staff also said Dela Rosa exited at around 2:30 a.m.

Citing several sources, Malacañang also said that Dela Rosa has left the chamber.

“As of 11:09 a.m., several sources confirmed that the senator, Senator Bato, is no longer in the Senate premises, but we’re still getting official confirmation on the report,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press conference.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag likewise said the information has yet to be validated.

“Baka maganda po, sa Senate po natin itanong, sa Senado, sa Office of the Secgen. at doon po sa OSAA rin po dahil sila po ang makakakita talaga kung may aktwal po na paglabas o pag-alis po ni Senator Bato. Umaasa rin po kami sa aming naririnig na balita at lumalabas po sa social media,” Matibag said.

(Maybe it’s better to ask the Senate, the Office of the Secretary General, and also the OSAA because they are the ones who know if Senator Bato actually left. We are also relying on the news we hear and that is appearing on social media.)

Dela Rosa was last seen with his staff as they boarded an elevator on Wednesday. He came from the office of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano.

In a photo released by the Senate majority, Dela Rosa, as well as Senators Robin Padilla and Rodante Marcoleta were not seen in the caucus following the adjournment of the session.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla also said Dela Rosa is “safe” and with security personnel following the tension and lockdown at the Senate building.

On Facebook, lawyer Israelito Torreon, legal counsel of Dela Rosa, posted photos with him in the Senate at around 12:45 a.m.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, lawyer Jimmy Bondoc said that as far as he knows, Dela Rosa remains in the Senate.

“I will give you based on my personal knowledge na nandiyan pa siya [Bato], but since I’m still here outside, I cannot check. Pero as of last night nandiyan siya, nag-uusap kami,” Bondoc said in a tweet of GMA News' EJ Gomez.

GMA News reached out to Dela Rosa and Cayetano for comment.

On Wednesday evening, gunshots rang out at the Senate amid lockdown at the upper chamber.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has denied that their agents deployed at the Senate building. It also said its officials are currently in a three-day fellowship event in a hotel.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. said that there was no instruction to arrest Dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa is a subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court in relation to crimes against humanity involving former President Rodrigo Duterte.

He was placed under the protective custody of the Senate after agents of the National Bureau of Investigation tried to serve him the arrest warrant. —AOL/RF, GMA News