Bato Dela Rosa can't attend plenary session, impeachment trial remotely - Senate rules

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is not allowed to attend or participate in the Senate’s plenary sessions and the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte through teleconferencing for now, according to the upper chamber’s rules.

Rule XIV, Section 41 of the Senate rules state that the Senate President “may convene and hold the session through teleconference, video conference, or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means, using appropriate information and communications technology systems, due to force majeure or the occurrence of a national emergency as determined by the majority of all the members of the Senate which may prevent the convening of the Senate or the physical presence of its members in the session hall.”

Earlier, Senator Rodante Marcoleta moved to amend the Senate rules on May 11.

He proposed to “allow a senator for justifiable reasons to attend and participate in the session through teleconference, video conference, or other reliable forms of remote or electronic means, using appropriate information and communications technology.”

There was no objection to the proposed amendment, but it was referred to the Senate committee on rules where it is still pending.

Last week, Dela Rosa left the Senate premises – where he was under protective custody – amid an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his role in the war on illegal drugs.

This was not the first time proposals were made for senators to attend plenary sessions remotely.

In 2019, then-Senate Majority Leader Franklin Drilon and Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson filed a resolution seeking to allow then-Senator and incumbent ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima to participate in plenary sessions through teleconferencing.

The proposed resolution remained pending at the committee level. — JMA, GMA News