A protester carrying a slogan with a photo of Ronald dela Rosa crying rallied outside the senate in Pasay, Philippines, on Wednesday. The wanted man outran security agents, rallied protesters, and even serenaded the media with a military hymn. Then, after a sudden exchange of gunfire, the Philippines' most controversial lawmaker slipped out of the heavily guarded senate building in the middle of the night.
The Escape of Senator Dela Rosa
Senator Ronald dela Rosa, wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity, is now nowhere to be seen. The week's shambolic events have prompted criticism not only of the country's senate, where Duterte's allies controversially shielded Dela Rosa from arrest, but also of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who appears outmaneuvered.
Dela Rosa is wanted for his role as enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's "war on drugs," in which thousands were killed. The saga is underlined by a fierce power struggle between Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte. They once campaigned together but relations soured, reaching an all-time low last year when Marcos allowed her father to be arrested and transferred to the ICC. The 81-year-old leader is now imprisoned at The Hague, facing charges of crimes against humanity. Both Marcos and Dela Rosa deny wrongdoing.
The Chaotic Week
Dela Rosa, a tough-talking former head of the Philippine National Police, had been in hiding for months after reports of his looming arrest in November. He made a surprise appearance at the senate on Monday, backing a successful bid by another staunch Duterte ally to become senate president. This proved a risky move: he found himself theatrically racing through hallways and clambering up stairways when security agents chased him. He outran them, and along with his allies, perhaps outmaneuvered Marcos politically. When Dela Rosa reached the senate chamber, he was granted protective custody by the new senate president, Alan Peter Cayetano.
The concept of senate protection is deemed dubious by some experts but paved the way for a three-day standoff. For the first night, Dela Rosa hunkered down at the office of fellow senator Jinggoy Estrada. "His room was better, it also has more food," said Dela Rosa, known by the nickname Bato ("rock"). He admitted he did not have much of an appetite.
Inside the senate, he kept busy drumming up public support through Facebook live streams and media interviews. He called on "fellow men in uniform" to oppose his arrest, bellowed the military hymn to awaiting media, and made an emotional appeal to Marcos not to hand him over to the ICC.
Gunfire and Escape
On Wednesday night, his announcement of imminent arrest led to a heavy security presence and protesters outside. Inside, media captured chaos as they tried to locate him. Some reporters gathered at a doorway, holding mics to capture the sound of drilling as passageways were sealed. Then gunshots fired, forcing reporters to scramble for cover. Dela Rosa fled hours later; GMA News reported he told bodyguards he was going to the toilet but fled through a fire exit and cruised off in an SUV with a fellow Duterte-aligned senator.
Some questioned if the shooting and commotion were staged to allow escape. Cayetano denied this, claiming the senate was "under attack" by the National Bureau of Investigation, which had tried to arrest Dela Rosa on Monday. However, it emerged senate security fired first. "I myself do not know what to make of it," said Senator Vicente Sotto, ousted as senate president on Monday. "Some firearms shooting by the [senate security] at I don’t know what, when most of us should have been home. Then Bato escapes."
Political Implications
The Marcos government has said it will respect a Supreme Court decision giving the government 72 hours to comment on Dela Rosa's petition challenging his arrest. "I sense that Marcos Jr wants to be more careful at this point compared to when Duterte was arrested," said Jean Encinas-Franco, a political science professor at the University of the Philippines Diliman. When Duterte was arrested, Marcos's approval and trust ratings suffered. "However, what is coming out is that the government is weak and incompetent, given the bungled attempts to arrest Bato," she added.
In contrast, Sara Duterte is performing well in surveys. Her allies' grip on the senate has been tightened with Cayetano's appointment, a helpful development as she faces a looming impeachment trial. Dela Rosa will no doubt be watching. He is relatively young and may not elude justice forever, said Sol Iglesias, an associate professor of political science at the University of the Philippines. "However, if Sara Duterte is not convicted and wins the presidency in 2028, he can expect to be shielded for as long as his allies remain in power." For now, his whereabouts remain a mystery.
