"Yung lahat ng nanggigipit sa amin ngayon, pupuntahan ko 'yan at yayakapin ko nang mahigpit (To all those who are putting pressure on us right now, I will go to them and hug them tightly)."

This was Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's answer in an interview on Saturday, April 5 on DWIZ to the hypothetical question of what his first move will be under a potential presidency of Vice President Sara Duterte in 2028.

He said this amid the high chance that he will be given a position if the Vice President does become president in the future.

"Yakap ng pagmamahal (Embrace of love)," he clarified.

The embattled senator attended last Thurday the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations’ second public hearing on the controversial arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This marked his first appearance in the upper chamber since the former leader's arrest last March 11.

Dela Rosa had earlier mentioned the possibility of going into hiding amid rumors of an imminent release of an arrest warrant against him by the ICC. Like Duterte, the former top cop is facing charges of crimes against humanity for his role in implementing Duterte’s brutal campaign against illegal drugs.

The reelectionist senator has since expressed his desire to apply for a Schengen visa to visit former president Duterte in The Hague, which he will do before or after the May 2025 mid-term polls. 

He even joked about wearing a wig while there so that he would not be recognized. 

Meanwhile, in the same interview, Dela Rosa claims that with the way things are going, the people are no longer afraid to commit crimes since the administration is busy focusing on dismantling the Dutertes.

"Libre tayo gumawa ng mga kalokohan (We are free to cause trouble)," he added.