Remulla to Bato: Why are you running?

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla questioned Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa over his continued hiding from the law, urging the former Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief to face the allegations raised against him.

“Nagtataka ako sakanya, naging Chief PNP siya, tumatakbo siya sa batas, humarap siya, bakit niya ginugulo yung mundo? Managot ka sa iyong mga gawain…sabihin mo kung wala ka talagang kasalanan, harapin mo,” Remulla expressed.

(It’s confusing, he was Chief PNP but he’s running from the law, face the allegations, why is he causing all this chaos? Be accountable for what you did…let them know if you are really innocent, face them)

“Ganyan ba dapat maging senador natin, tumatakbo sa batas, is that the hero we want to portray?” he added.

(Is this who we want our senators to be, running from the law, is that the hero we want to portray?)

The Ombudsman further indicated that Dela Rosa’s pattern of evasion was a clear indication of guilt, asserting that such characteristics were common in the tenets of criminal law.

Prior to his remarks on the internationally wanted senator, Remulla mentioned that their office was going to be conducting their own separate investigation into what really transpired the night of 13 May where several gunshots rang out in the Senate building.

Many have speculated that these events were merely a distraction as just hours after the incident, Dela Rosa left the senate premises at around 2:30 a.m.

Aside from Dela Rosa, the Ombudsman said that they were going to investigate other senators who were present before, during, and after the chaos.

Among those verbally mentioned by Remulla were Senators Robin Padilla and Jinggoy Estrada who have figured in narratives that have been promulgated on social media.

Padilla had been alleged to have some involvement in the supposed “escape” of Dela Rosa as he logged out of the Senate just minutes after the alleged time the latter fled based on the records of the Senate.

The former celebrity turned senator was also reportedly spotted at an airport terminal around 4:00 a.m. on the same day.

He was also cited by the National Bureau of Investigation as the primary “person of interest” for the missing Dela Rosa.

Estrada, on the other hand, was cited for his remarks in a video that surfaced wherein Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca was giving instructions to the senators who were still in the premises at the time of incident.

It could be heard that he had ordered Aplasca to hide the CCTV footage of the Senate which holds crucial evidence in the current investigations.

In a statement released this Friday, 15 May, Estrada cleared the air, noting that what he had only meant was to secure the footage and that no ill intent was intended.

“Itago n’yo ‘yung CCTV. Kung pagbabasehan ang real-time footage na kuha matapos ang shooting incident, malinaw na ang aking sinabi ay pagsang-ayon sa naging usapan na i-secure at pangalagaan ang CCTV footage na maaaring magsilbing mahalagang ebidensya sa insidente ng pamamaril,” Estrada said.

(Hide the CCTV. If we base it on the real-time footage that was taken after the shooting incident, it was clear that I was agreeing with the discussions to secure and safeguard the CCTV footage that could be used as important evidence in the shooting incident)

“Ang konteksto ng usapan ay malinaw, direkta, at walang anumang bahid ng ibang kahulugan,” he added.

(The context was clear, direct, and had no other meaning)

As of writing, Dela Rosa’s whereabouts remain unknown with his petitions to the Supreme Court concerning a possible issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on government agencies looking to serve his arrest warrant remains pending.