Senator Robin Padilla on Tuesday defended Senator Ronald "Bato" de la Rosa from criticisms after the latter's proposal to decriminalize the use of illegal drugs.

Padilla stressed that De la Rosa's proposal was driven by his having seen the need to decongest the country's jails as a former chief of the Bureau of Corrections.

"Our jails are already overcrowded. Most of the cases were drug-related. We were not saying that there is something wrong with the law but rather its effect caused the increase of population inside the jails," he said.

"What we are advocating for is that those who will be arrested for possession of illegal drugs do not need to be jailed immediately. They should undergo rehabilitation," he stressed.

Padilla said the country has many drug rehabilitation centers that are underutilized if not empty. De la Rosa filed Senate Bill 202, which seeks to legitimize the use of drugs.