At A Glance
- Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa ought to maintain his willingness to show up at public hearings should be sought by authorities for whatever reason, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said Friday, April 4.
Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa ought to maintain his willingness to show up at public hearings should be sought by authorities for whatever reason, Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre said Friday, April 4.
"Sana madali lang ho din sya makita (We hope that we can also easily see him)," Acidre said.
His remark came after Dela Rosa suddenly appeared at the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations hearing headed by Senator Imee Marcos during its probe into former president Rodrigo Duterte's arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Dela Rosa, who is also implicated in the ICC case for his alleged involvement in the Duterte administration's deadly war on drugs, kept out of the public eye following the former president's arrest last March 11.
According to Acidre, Dela Rosa, like any other legislator, has both the right and responsibility to attend official Senate functions, even in the middle of a campaign season.
He also pointed out that there is no legal barrier at present that would prevent him from fulfilling his legislative duties, and welcomed his return to Senate proceedings.
“Wala pa naman hong pinapalabas na kung ano man asunto o arrest warrant sa kanya kaya mas maganda ho na nakikita natin na nagtatrabaho ang ating mga senador kahit po panahon ng kampanya (There is no arrest warrant that is known publicly to have been issued against him, so it's better if we see him working even during election season),” Acidre said.
While it is understandable for senators running in the upcoming elections to be busy on the campaign trail, public service should remain a top priority, he said.