The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified Sen. Robin Padilla and Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca as “persons of interest” in its probe into the reported departure of Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from the Senate amid an attempt to serve him an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant.
NBI Director Melvin A. Matibag said in a radio interview that investigators are working to establish Dela Rosa’s movements after he allegedly left the Senate early Thursday, May 14, following a tense incident involving NBI agents the night before.
Matibag noted that Padilla is among the first individuals authorities want to question, saying he may have accompanied Dela Rosa when the senator left the premises.
“Parang lumalabas naman is si Sen. Robin Padilla ang kasamang lumabas,” Matibag said. Padilla has not yet publicly responded to the NBI statement.
The NBI chief also pointed to Aplasca, the Senate’s security head, as another key figure in the inquiry.
Aplasca, a retired police officer, is being examined in connection with reports that he was involved in an altercation during the incident at the bridge linking the Senate and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) complex.
According to accounts from NBI personnel, Aplasca allegedly fired a shot during the confrontation when Senate security personnel confronted NBI agents attempting to serve the warrant.
Matibag added that investigators are also considering statements from Dela Rosa’s wife, Nancy, who reportedly said the incident was used as an opportunity for the senator to leave the Senate premises.
Authorities have yet to determine where Dela Rosa went after leaving the building.
Dela Rosa has been named by the ICC as a co-perpetrator alongside former President Rodrigo Duterte in a crimes against humanity case linked to the administration’s drug war.
The ICC has issued an arrest warrant in connection with the case. Duterte is currently detained in The Hague and is facing trial before the court. (Jeffrey Damicog)
