Senator Robin Padilla is being viewed as a person of interest following the escape of fellow Duterte ally Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Thursday.

Dela Rosa slipped out of the Senate building Thursday morning amid a possible arrest after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant against him in connection with his role in the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs.

Earlier reports said Dela Rosa left the Senate premises together with Padilla, a detail later confirmed by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano and Senate security chief Mao Aplasca.

Appearing on three of the primetime newscasts Monday, Padilla declined to comment on whether he played a role in Dela Rosa’s disappearance, saying an NBI probe is ongoing and that he would rather address the matter in the proper forum.

“Ako po ay humihingi ng paumanhin po sa inyo na hindi ko po ‘yan masasagot sapagkat ito po ay naging opisyal nang imbestigasyon. Kaya ang pinakamaganda po dito ay ako po’y makapaghayag muna kung sinuman po ang aatasan ng gobyerno na mag-imbestiga,” Padilla said during a split-screen interview with TV Patrol anchor Karen Davila.

Davila then raised the issue of whether Padilla considers Dela Rosa a fugitive and whether he helped him escape.

“Pero Senator, bakit di niyo po ito masagot? Itinuturing niyo po bang pugante si Dela Rosa? Tumulong po ba kayo sa pugante?” she asked.

“Hindi po ‘yan ang posisyon ng mayorya. Ang posisyon po namin ay hindi po namin tinatanggap ang warrant of arrest galing sa ICC. Ang inaantay po namin ay ‘yung warrant of arrest ng local court po,” he said.

Padilla also appeared on 24 Oras, where anchor Mel Tiangco repeatedly pressed him on the same issue.

The senator avoided giving a direct answer several times, prompting Tiangco to bring up a video footage captured by GMA News showing an SUV reportedly owned by Padilla on the morning Dela Rosa left the Senate premises.

“Nakasakay po ba dyan si Senator Bato Dela Rosa nung nakunan ‘yan?” Tiangco asked, drawing a surprised reaction and laughter from the senator, who appeared taken aback by her persistence.

“Antayin na lang po natin, Tita Mel, ‘yung imbestigasyon. Pero akin po ‘yan. Alam po ng lahat ng tao dito na kotse ko po ‘yan,” Padilla said.

“Eh kayo ba ang nakasakay doon, Sir?” Tiangco quickly followed up.

“Antayin na lang po natin imbestigasyon,” Padilla answered before Tiangco cut in: “Pati kayo hindi pwedeng itanong?”

The senator also faced similar questions during an interview with Korina Sanchez on Agenda, who was broadcasting live from the Senate.

“Inutos po ba, ito po ay tanong ng bayan, ng partido na ipuslit si Senador Bato Dela Rosa?” Sanchez asked.

“Ay wala pong nangyaring puslit. Ako po ay handang humarap sa imbestigasyon. Katunayan gustong-gusto ko na din pong magkwento sa mga tao pero dahil in-official po nila na magkakaroon ng imbestigasyon kaya mas maganda po na doon na lang ako magpapahatig sa kanila at maglalahad kung ano po ‘yung alam ko,” Padilla answered.

Mel Tiangco challenged Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSSA) chief Mao Aplasca during a live interview Thursday on 24 Oras, questioning why warning shots were fired inside Senate premises and raising concerns over Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate.

The interview came a day after gunfire erupted at the Senate complex in an incident involving Senate security personnel and individuals Aplasca said identified themselves as National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents.

The commotion unfolded on the same day the Supreme Court did not issue an immediate temporary restraining order on Dela Rosa’s request concerning an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant linked to his role in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The timing has since fueled speculation online, with some questioning whether the incident was staged, especially after Dela Rosa later left the Senate despite receiving a so-called “protective custody” from the Senate.

Aplasca pushed back against this theory.

“Mahirap yata na sabihing staged itong nangyari dito. Hindi ko naman po pwedeng i-stage ‘yung pagdating ng mga NBI agents dito,” he told Tiangco, arguing that there would not have been any commotion had the alleged NBI agents not shown up.

Tiangco asked Aplasca why he had to fire the warning shot during the encounter, “Eh lumalabas po sa mga ulat na kayo ‘yung unang nag-warning shot eh. Totoo po ba ‘yan at tsaka bakit, bakit kayo nagpakawala ng warning shot?”

Aplasca described the move as part of standard operating procedure, to which Tiangco quickly interrupted.

“Ah standard ‘yun? Ano ibig sabihin po nung standard, I’m sorry, General, no. Anong ibig sabihin ng standard? Walang nangyayari, ang dami-daming tao, magpapaputok ka. May ganun ba, Sir?” she asked.

Aplasca said the men, who identified themselves as NBI agents, allegedly raised their firearms when ordered to lower them, prompting him to fire a warning shot.

Tiangco repeatedly questioned why the encounter escalated if the men had already identified themselves as NBI personnel.

“Okay, so hindi naman kalaban ‘yun kung NBI ang nakita mo,” she pointedly remarked.

Later, Tiangco also took the chance to ask Aplasca about Dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate.

Citing information from a source, she said Aplasca had reportedly been sighted with the senator shortly before he left Senate grounds. She asked directly whether Dela Rosa had hinted that he planned to leave.

Aplasca denied having prior knowledge about the embattled senator’s plans and maintained that his visits were routine.

“Sa amin pong pag-uusap hanggang 1 o’clock po ng umaga ang pinakahuling bisita ko kay General Bato, wala naman po siyang sinasabi na aalis siya sa Senado,” Aplasca said.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday pushed back against claims that Dela Rosa had “escaped,” saying it was wrong to use the term because the senator supposedly had “no arrest warrant.” He has since been criticized for that remark.

Watch the video below:

On his second day under the protective custody of the Senate — now led by newly elected Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa made the rounds on three of the country’s top evening newscasts Tuesday.

Appearing live from the Senate, the embattled senator faced separate interviews with 24 Oras anchor Mel Tiangco, TV Patrol anchor Karen Davila, and the team over at Frontline Pilipinas, addressing questions about his sudden return to the upper chamber, the looming ICC arrest warrant against him, and the mounting criticism over his decision to seek refuge in the Senate.

Tiangco asked Dela Rosa directly about his unexpected reappearance at the Senate on Monday, following a six-month absence.

“Senator, sabihin niyo naman samin, bakit nga ba, bakit nga ba hindi ho kayo pumasok ng anim na buwan, at bigla na lang kayong sumulpot kahapon sa Senado, Sir?” Tiangco asked.

“Well, ah, unang-una mayroon tayong natanggap na impormasyon galing sa Palasyo, na andiyan na daw yung warrant of arrest ko sa ICC. Kaya, alam mo na, my liberty is under threat kaya I have to do something with that situation,” Dela Rosa replied.

The International Criminal Court on Monday confirmed the authenticity of the warrant, saying in a statement that it is now for the Philippine authorities “to arrest and surrender” Dela Rosa to the tribunal.

Tiangco also asked the senator to respond to criticism that the Senate was effectively serving as his sanctuary from arrest.

“Senator, mayroon pong mga ibang nagsasabing mali ang ginawa ng Senado na kinupkop kayo diyan. Hindi daw po tama. Ano ho ang gagawin niyo kung sakaling sabihin hindi kayo puwede diyan?” she asked.

“Well, they are entitled to their own opinion, kung ano gusto nilang sabihin laban sa Senado. Basta ‘yung Senado lang naman ginagampanan ang papel niya na mag-maintain ng institution as an independent, and to a certain extent, puwedeng proteksyunan ‘yung kanyang miyembro,” Dela Rosa answered.

Pressed on whether he would peacefully cooperate should authorities eventually move to enforce the warrant, Dela Rosa stopped short of giving a definitive answer.

“Pero kung talagang kailangan na, kayo ba ay puwede rin na sumama na, na walang gulo, na walang problema, sasama na kayo, kapag nakitang lehitimo ‘yung warrant of arrest, Senator? Puwede na ‘yun mangyari?” Tiangco asked.

“Mahirap, mahirap, mahirap sagutin yung tanong mo, Mel, baka mamaya in the end sabihin mo sinungaling ako, hindi ko nagawa ‘yung sinabi ko ngayon kaya hintayin na lang natin,” he said.

Over at ABS-CBN, Dela Rosa faced similar questions in his interview with Karen Davila, as the TV Patrol anchor raised criticism circulating against him on social media.

“Ito reaksyon ng ilan sa social media, ang tapang-tapang niyo daw po noon nung kayo ay PNP chief sa ilalim ni dating pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Tapos ‘yan, heto kayo tumatakbo, umiiwas sa mga pulis, umiiyak sa Senado, takot na takot kayo, ano ang reaksyon niyo po doon?” she asked.

“Ah, hayaan mo na sila. They are entitled to their own opinion. Sige lang kung ‘yan ang tingin nila sakin. Go ahead. Wala po akong… opinyon niyo po ‘yan,” Dela Rosa responded.

Davila followed up by pointing out that some critics were now labeling him a coward, especially in contrast to other senators who had voluntarily surrendered in the past, like Leila De Lima and Antonio Trillanes IV.

“So kumbaga ang tinawag na po sa inyo ay duwag daw po kayo, Senator, diba. ‘Yun po ang lumalabas po ngayon. Ang iba niyo po kasing kasamahan ay kusa silang nagsurrender,” Davila pointed out.

“Kusang nagsurrender. Sinasabi ko naman ‘yan noon na ayaw kong madala sa The Hague. Kung gusto kong madala sa The Hague, hindi na ako nag-file ng TRO sa Supreme Court. ‘Yun lang ‘yun,” Dela Rosa replied.

Later, Dela Rosa also appeared in an interview with reporter Mae Ann Los Baños, which was later turned over to Frontline Pilipinas anchors Julius Babao and Cheryl Cosim.

Asked if he had any regrets about reappearing at the Senate, Dela Rosa said he had none, stressing that it was his decision to return. He added, “Gusto mo malaman anong pinagsisihan ko ngayon? Ang pinagsisihan ko ngayon kung bakit ako masyadong matapat sa sa aking tungkulin from day 1 of my miltary and police service. Bakit ako natrabaho ng husto, yun rin pala. At the end of the day, mamalasin ka lang rin pala sa iyong tapat na pagsisilbi sa bayan.”