MBC calls for swift probe on Sen. Bato’s escape

MBC calls for swift probe on Sen. Bato’s escape | Daily Tribune

He said the incident that ensued from 13 to 14 May has tainted the international image and perception of the integrity of the Senate of the Philippines in the midst of unresolved investigations pertaining to the flood control scandal.

“This is another distressing development that will gravely affect the investor confidence and consequently, the economic progress of our country,” Chua noted.

Blame is on Cayetano

Meanwhile, the chairman emeritus of Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People’s Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas (LIPI), and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement, Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia said the chaos that erupted inside the Senate was not something that appeared out of nowhere, but was the inevitable result of political leaders deliberately turning the Senate into a refuge for Senator Dela Rosa while attacking every attempt to enforce accountability.

For Goitia, the blame should not be placed on the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but on the current Senate leadership under Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and the allies who helped create the standoff, including figures openly shielding Sen. Bato dela Rosa from lawful processes.

“This did not begin with gunshots. It began the moment the Senate stopped acting like a legislative institution and started acting like a sanctuary,” he said.

The civic group leader said it was irresponsible for some groups to immediately blame Malacañang even before any investigation had begun, especially after President Marcos publicly denied government involvement and ordered authorities to uncover the truth behind the incident.

“The President called for calm, transparency, and investigation. That is not the behavior of someone trying to sow violence. That is the response of a leader trying to keep the country from sliding deeper into instability,” Goitia said.

Goitia also questioned how quickly narratives surfaced, accusing the government while ignoring the role played by Senate leaders themselves.

“You cannot openly harbor a fugitive, escalate tensions day after day, encourage confrontation with authorities, and then suddenly wash your hands when chaos breaks out,” he said.

He also warned against the dangerous accusations made by Sen. Imee Marcos that President Marcos personally ordered authorities to arrest dela Rosa “at all costs, kahit sino pa ang mamatay.”

“When politicians start throwing around claims that the President ordered bloodshed, that is not politics anymore,” Goitia said. “That is arson. You are lighting a match inside a room full of people.”

According to Goitia, the timing raises even more questions. These narratives surfaced almost instantly, while cameras were still rolling and the smoke had not yet cleared.

“People are already asking,” he said. “Was this chaos exploited? Was it dramatized? Was it meant to create a narrative that the government is the enemy while certain politicians play the victim?”

He warned that the public should not dismiss the possibility that the incident was being used to generate sympathy, stoke hysteria, and justify keeping dela Rosa inside the Senate. In his view, some politicians have shown they are willing to use the Senate itself as a shield and dare the law to follow them in.

Answering allegations, Cayetano on Friday rejected narratives that the chamber was in chaos, saying, “Hindi po magulo ang Senado, ginugulo po ang Senado. Iba po yung magulo, iba po 'yung ginugulo.”

“NBI ang lumusob at pumasok sa Senado at nakipaghabulan sa isang senador kahit pwedeng hintayin na lang sa session hall,” Cayetano said, stating that the presence of the NBI agents created the commotion.

“Hindi po kami magco-convict dahil lang sa politika. Hindi rin po kami mag-a-acquit dahil sa politika. Impartial conviction ang aming gagawin,” he further emphasized.