12/05/2026
‘VOLUNTARILY SURRENDER’
Several senators have filed a resolution urging Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to voluntarily surrender to the proper authorities and seek judicial remedies in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws and rules.
This came following the confirmation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the arrest warrant issued against Dela Rosa for the crime against humanity of murder.
Members of the new minority bloc Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, Risa Hontiveros, and Panfilo “Ping” Lacson filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 395 earlier today, May 12.
The resolution cited Article VI, Section 11 of the 1987 Constitution, which grants senators and members of the House of Representatives only limited privilege from arrest while Congress is in session, specifically for offenses punishable by not more than six years of imprisonment.
According to the senators, the provision “clearly indicates that no blanket immunity or protective custody exists for grave offenses or proceedings authorized under law.”
The resolution also pointed to previous instances where the Senate has "historically respected judicial and prosecutorial processes involving its own members and former officials."
Among those cited were the voluntary surrender and judicial submission of late former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, the resort to legal remedies and court proceedings by former senator and now congresswoman Leila de Lima, and the judicial recourse undertaken by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Adherence to lawful processes and voluntary submission to judicial authority strengthen democratic institutions, reinforce constitutional accountability, and uphold the principle that no public official is above the law,” the resolution read.
(RELATED REPORT: https://www.facebook.com/ueredwire/posts/1517072523762406)
