Senator Cayetano files answer to Ombudsman complaint over Senator Dela Rosa's 'exit'

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has submitted his counter-affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman to the obstruction of justice complaint filed against him over Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's departure from the Senate premises in May.

In a statement issued Thursday, the Ombudsman confirmed receiving Cayetano's answer.

“The Office of the Ombudsman has received the counter affidavit submitted by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano. Counsel for Sen. Cayetano presented the counter affidavit yesterday, July 15, 2026,” the Ombudsman said.

“This counter affidavit is in response to the ongoing preliminary investigation into the complaint of obstruction of justice filed by members of civil society,” the Ombudsman added, referring to opposition coalition Tindig Pilipinas and other allied groups.

The complaint also names Senator Robin Padilla and then-Acting Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca as respondents.

The complainants alleged that the three officials placed Dela Rosa under Senate "protective custody" to prevent his arrest on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign during Dela Rosa's tenure as Philippine National Police chief.

According to the complaint, Dela Rosa was placed under Senate protective custody after Cayetano assumed the Senate presidency on May 11.

The complainants further argued that the supposed protective custody was merely a pretext, citing the May 13 incident in which Aplasca allegedly fired multiple warning shots at National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents, triggering panic among Senate employees, members of the media, and other civilians inside the Senate complex.

Following the shooting incident, Dela Rosa was later seen leaving the Senate compound with Padilla, according to the complaint.

The complainants claimed that the respondents' actions formed a coordinated effort to prevent Dela Rosa's arrest and hinder the investigation into his departure.

“The acts complained of point to one purpose: to prevent, delay, or frustrate the apprehension of Dela Rosa and the investigation of his escape. From the grant of "protective custody," to the security response, to his removal from the Senate premises, and finally to the resistance to the production of CCTV evidence, the acts form a single chain directed at obstructing the administration of justice,” the complainants said.

“These circumstances, coupled with the evidence on record, establish prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to indict Respondents for knowingly and willfully obstructing, impeding, frustrating, or delaying the apprehension of Dela Rosa and the investigation of the events surrounding his escape,” they added.

Padilla had previously acknowledged in an interview that Dela Rosa asked to ride with him as they left the Senate building after the shooting incident. He also confirmed ownership of the vehicle that was seen leaving the Senate compound, in which Dela Rosa was believed to have been a passenger.

-Paraluman News