Bato analogy rankles Leila

House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima asked Senate President Tito Sotto III to refrain from comparing her and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV’s situation with that of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

In a statement posted on X, De Lima said her and Trillanes’ nonattendance at Senate sessions during their incumbency was involuntary and should not be compared to Dela Rosa’s absence, which she said is a matter of choice, possibly to avoid a potential arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“I could not be physically present in the Senate because I was in detention to face the fabricated charges filed against me then by the Duterte administration,” she said.

De Lima’s absence was brought up during a discussion on Dela Rosa’s nonattendance at Senate sessions, amid claims that the ICC has issued a warrant of arrest against him for his role in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

She said that even while in detention — despite the inconvenience of having no access to gadgets — she continued to work and fulfill her duties as a senator. She added that she filed multiple bills, some of which were eventually enacted into law.

De Lima added that her and Trillanes’ situation should not be used as an excuse to avoid disciplining a delinquent senator.