UMVA has learned that the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group has escalated a high‑stakes obstruction of justice case against Senator Robinhood Ferdinand C. Padilla, following the dramatic escape of Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court.
The investigation uncovered that the senator’s departure from the Senate building on May 14 was not a simple hitch‑ride but a meticulously planned operation designed to slip past security. A second vehicle, acting as an escort and backup, was trailing Padilla’s car during the maneuver, according to the police unit.
Padilla had admitted in televised briefings that he transported dela Rosa out of the Senate early that morning, yet he insisted no arrest warrant was active at the time and that the senator merely rode along. The CIDG believes these actions could violate the Obstruction of Justice law and Presidential Decree No. 1829, placing the case under the Department of Justice’s National Prosecution Service.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the CIDG has not yet named other suspects, but stresses that aiding fugitives erodes the rule of law and public trust. This move aligns with the agency’s mandate to enforce the law without bias or exception.
Dela Rosa, once the head of the Philippine National Police and a key figure in the controversial anti‑illegal drug campaign, entered Senate protective custody on May 11 before fleeing amid a gun‑related standoff on May 14. The international community now watches as the ICC seeks to bring him to justice for alleged crimes against humanity.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that prosecutors are reviewing Padilla’s televised admissions, weighing whether his role in the senator’s escape could establish criminal liability. The investigation remains in its early stages, with law enforcement agencies prepared to treat the ICC warrant with the same rigor as any domestic arrest.
UMVA has gathered that the police have revoked the senator’s firearm licenses and are tightening efforts to locate him, underscoring that former officials are not immune to the law. The National Bureau of Investigation has classified dela Rosa as “armed and dangerous,” a standard protocol for fugitives under international warrants.
Legal counsel for the senator has dismissed the armed‑dangerous designation as unsupported, but authorities are unyielding, emphasizing that legal privilege does not exempt anyone from compliance with law enforcement duties.
