Sen. Robin Padilla accompanies fellow senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa as he files his certificate of candidacy for the 2025 midterm elections in Manila on October 3, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File
MANILA — Sen. Robin Padilla on Friday faced a panel of prosecutors at the Department of Justice for the preliminary investigation of the obstruction of justice complaint against him.
The complaint lodged by the Philippine National Police alleged that Padilla supposedly helped Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa evade the arrest order issued by the International Criminal Court.
DOJ summons Padilla over Dela Rosa escape
“Narito po tayo para i-file iyong counter-affidavit namin kasama ko po yung mga abogado ko,” Padilla told reporters upon arrival at the DOJ.
Padilla thanked his supporters who gathered outside the DOJ.
“Una po maraming salamat po sa mga kapatid na Muslim at Kristiyano na nagpunta rito para magbigay ng suporta sa atin kahit na napakasikip rito,” Padilla said.
After the proceedings, Padilla refused to talk about his case.
“Mahirap po akong magbigay ng opinyon, ng kahit anong pahayag, basta ang masasabi ko lang po kung ano po ang sinasabi ng batas, yan po ay susundin namin. Ako po ay wala sa lugar ngayon para magsalita ng kahit ano,” he said.
In debate on conviction threshold, Padilla says he may soon miss hearings too
Lawyer Jimmy Bondoc, who is representing Padilla’s co-respondent, said that all respondents have not yet submitted their counter-affidavits.
“Hindi pa po kami nagsa-submit ng counter-affidavit dahil mga hearing pa lang po parang for preliminary matters, may mga nililinaw pa po dahil may mga konti pang submissions na kulang po from the other side,” Bondoc said.
In late 2025, Dela Rosa went into hiding after reports that the ICC had issued an arrest warrant against him as a co-perpetrator in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Dela Rosa hiding from ‘kidnapper’ — Padilla
He appeared in the Senate in May to help elect Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano as Senate President, and ran across the building to evade officials who were serving his warrant from the ICC.
After a shooting incident at the Senate, Dela Rosa was seen boarding Padilla’s tinted vehicle to leave the premises in the wee hours of May 14.
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