Drilon Urges Robin Padilla to Explain Controversial Senate Incident
FRANKLIN DRILON – The former Senate President has called on Senator Robin Padilla to publicly explain his actions after he was linked to allegedly helping Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa avoid authorities following a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The issue came after the Philippine National Police (PNP) released a report on May 20, 2026, which included CCTV footage from the Senate parking area. The footage reportedly showed Padilla and Dela Rosa together in the early morning of May 14, 2026. Based on the PNP report, Dela Rosa left the Senate around 2:30 a.m., several hours after a tense situation the night before involving Senate security officers and agents from the National Bureau of Investigation. Authorities also said that Dela Rosa later left in a white Toyota Fortuner with a plate number reportedly registered under Padilla’s name.
Drilon, in a media interview, strongly criticized the incident, calling Padilla’s actions politically unacceptable. He said the senator must explain to the public why he helped Dela Rosa and what his reasons were for being involved.
He also stressed that since Dela Rosa is facing an international arrest warrant, the public deserves a clear explanation on why a sitting senator appeared to have assisted him in leaving the Senate. Drilon said that being seen helping someone in this situation raises serious questions that should be answered openly.
As of now, Senator Padilla has not released any official statement regarding Drilon’s comments or the allegations connected to the incident.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court did not approve a temporary restraining order requested by Dela Rosa’s camp. The decision, based on a 9-5-1 vote, allowed the ICC warrant to move forward.
Related Post: Bato dela Rosa and Robin Padilla Reportedly Seen Leaving the Senate Early in the Morning