MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday confirmed that Senator Ronald dela Rosa is no longer in the Senate, stressing that the lawmaker was free to leave because he was not a prisoner.
“After receiving the report that Senator Bato was no longer here, I ordered the Sergeant-at-Arms to check his
office and confirm whether he had indeed left,” Cayetano said during a press briefing.
Dela Rosa left the Senate at around 2:30 a.m. accompanied by another individual. Authorities have not confirmed whether the companion was Senator Robin Padilla.
Cayetano added that Dela Rosa’s wife sent him a message apologizing and informing him that her husband was alone.
