MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero stated on Monday that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa would be granted “institutional courtesy” should the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue a warrant for his arrest.
Escudero’s stance immediately drew criticism from a labor coalition that denounced the privileges given to lawmakers, as well as from at least one legislator who also questioned his position regarding the pending impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Senate’s Position on Arrests
During a press briefing, Escudero explained that the Senate has historically prevented the arrest of its members within its premises, particularly during session days.
“The Senate faced various situations where there are warrants of arrest against the senators and the Senate’s decision is not based on the law, but rather on what is called institutional courtesy—the Senate will not allow any of its members to be arrested within the Senate, especially during a session,” he said.
However, Escudero clarified that this protection would apply even outside of session days.
“Historically, whether there is a session or none, institutional courtesy dictates that no police be allowed to come in just to arrest a senator. Two things happen: they need to exhaust all legal remedies, or the senator will voluntarily come out of the Senate,” he added.
He further noted that this practice has been followed by previous Senate presidents and remains a long-standing tradition aligned with Senate rules.
