‘Kalma!’—Palace to Duterte, Bato supporters

Malacañang Palace on Tuesday condemned the outburst made by supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte and Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, who camped out in front of the Senate Building in Pasay City, and even cursing the National Bureau of Investigation director, Atty. Melvin Matibag when he checked the situation there on Monday night.

Palace press officer, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro, even asked why Duterte and Dela Rosa are mad at the government, as they are just implementing a valid warrant of arrest at the Senator.

“Galit? Kapag po ba if ever mag-i-implement ng valid warrant of arrest o pagpapatupad ng utos ng isang korte, dapat po ba na ang mga Duterte at mga supporters ni Senator Bato ay maghasik at magalit sa gobyerno? Hindi po ba dapat tayong lahat, kahit anong kulay natin ay dapat na tumutupad sa batas at pinapatupad ang batas?” Castro said.

Castro then advised the fuming supporters to calm down and understand the law.

“So, hindi po kinakailangan na magkagulo. Alamin lamang ang batas, sumunod sa batas at hindi kinakailangang gamitin ang puwersa, hindi kailangang gamitin ang mga harassment na nanggagaling sa iba’t ibang kampo,” she said.

Atty. Matibag, in a viral video, was seen searching and about to confront a supporter who cursed him while trying to enter the Senate premises, which was reacted to by the Palace press officer.

“Karamihan naman po yata sa kanilang mga supporters ay ganoon po talaga ang istilo. So, hindi po natin mapipigil pero alam naman natin, karaniwang sa mga Pilipino ay hindi po palamura,” she said.

On Sen. Bato’s protection

In a Senate interview on Tuesday, Senator Bato asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to protect him and not surrender him to the International Criminal Court and Interpol, asking the Chief Executive to take care and consider him as a Filipino.

“Maski naman po iyong mga EJK victims ay humihingi rin po ng proteksyon sa gobyerno. So, ang akusadong katulad ni Senator Bato ay humihingi ng proteksyon, lahat naman po ay bibigyan ng proteksyon na naaayon sa batas. Kung naaresto man po siya, lahat ng karapatan bilang isang akusado ay ibibigay po sa kaniya,” Castro assured.

On Senate’s protection to Bato

The Palace officer, also a trial lawyer, although admitted that the Philippines is no longer a member of the ICC, she said there is a binding law that would permit the arrest the Senator Bato, which is Republic Act 9851.

RA No. 9851, signed on 11 December 2009, or the "Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity", defines and penalizes war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, ensuring accountability for both military and civilian offenders, regardless of official position.

“Ano ba ang umiiral na batas sa atin? Hindi po tayo miyembro ng ICC, ang umiiral po na batas sa atin ay ang RA 9851. At iyon po ang ipapatupad sa anumang pagkakataon dahil ito naman pong RA 9851 ay nagamit na rin po ng Supreme Court sa ibang mga kaso,” Castro said.

She also clarified that even if the Senate has the privilege to protect their co-Senators from arrest, if it is done within the confines of the Senate, Castro stressed that it is not absolute and still has limitations.

“Mayroon pong tinatawag na privilege para hindi po hulihin ang sinumang senador habang nasa session kapag siya po ay nasa vicinity ng Senado. But alam po natin na ito ay may limitasyon. Kapag po ang isang krimen na nagawa ay may penalty na more than six years, hindi po mag-a-apply itong pribilehiyo na ito,” she said.

Castro said the President is well-informed on what has transpired in the Senate, assuring that all law enforcement agencies are guided by what the law says when it comes to the arrest of law offenders.

“Well, ayaw nating pangunahan ang mga Senador but dapat alam nila kung ano ang batas kasi mambabatas sila. So, alam nila kung ano ang limitasyon nila, ano lang iyong kanilang authority, ano lang iyong power nila but they should not go beyond the law,” she said.

She maintained that the Philippine government has an obligation to Interpol and to the victims of the supposed extra-judicial killings who filed the case against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Senator Dela Rosa’s involvement.

“At ayon sa RA 9851, at maliwanag ito sa Section 17, na kung mayroon na pong nakapagsimula na state or international tribunal patungkol sa pag-iimbestiga ay puwede nating i-defer, puwede nating i-waive iyong ating karapatan at ibigay na sa international court ang pagpapaimbestiga, at iyon naman din po ang sinusunod ng RA natin, dito sa RA 9851,” she explained.

The ICC said that on 11 May 2026, its Pre-Trial Chamber I unsealed an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa, which had originally been issued as secret on 6 November 2025.

“Mr Dela Rosa, is alleged to have committed the crime against humanity of murder (article 7(1)(a) of the Rome Statute), at least between 3 July 2016 and the end of April 2018, during which no less than 32 persons were killed, in the Republic of the Philippines,” the ICC said.

The Chamber said it found reasonable grounds to believe that Dela Rosa is allegedly criminally responsible as an indirect co-perpetrator (pursuant to article 25(3)(a) of the Rome Statute) for the crime against humanity of murder.