Senator Robin Padilla defended Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and said he should still be allowed to perform his duties as a lawmaker through online participation despite the arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Padilla argued that dela Rosa has not been convicted of any crime and should therefore continue fulfilling the mandate given to him by Filipino voters.

He emphasized that dela Rosa ranked third in the 2025 senatorial elections and received millions of votes, which according to him reflects the people’s trust and authority granted to the senator.

Padilla explained that dela Rosa’s absence from Senate sessions was not intentional but was due to the possibility of being arrested and transferred abroad under ICC custody.He said the situation is different from ordinary absenteeism because dela Rosa fears being detained in another country.Padilla also cited the legal principle of “presumption of innocence,” stressing that a person cannot be treated as guilty without final conviction.The issue emerged after proposals in the Senate sought to allow senators to attend sessions and cast votes through teleconferencing.

However, the Senate minority bloc opposed the proposal and walked out of the session, arguing that Senate rules on prior notice for amendments were not properly followed.Dela Rosa reportedly went into hiding again after briefly appearing at the Senate on May 11 to vote for Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President.He previously sought protective custody at the Senate when authorities attempted to serve the ICC warrant against him.Padilla later accompanied him when he left the Senate premises following a shooting incident near the building.