THERE WAS a time when Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa loved the spotlight and enjoyed daring the world. He stood before cameras with confident grin, puffed chest and bold words, telling the International Criminal Court to go ahead and arrest him. He even said he would proudly stand beside former president Rodrigo Duterte if it ever came to that.
We all heard it.
We all saw it.
He wanted all of us to.
Those words made headlines and ran on every major newscast. It was classic Bato – loud, confident, and eager to show the world that he feared no one.
But now that talk of an actual ICC warrant feels less like rumor and more like an incoming storm, the once-noisy senator has gone unusually quiet.
The man who challenged the ICC to come and get him suddenly cannot be found; not in the Senate where he has not shown up since Nov. 11, 2025, not in events, and certainly not in front of cameras.
For someone who earns a taxpayer-funded salary, that is not just unusual but totally unacceptable.
Under the Civil Service Commission’s Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service, prolonged absence without approved leave can fall under neglect of duty or grave misconduct. The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA 6713) also requires all public servants to uphold “professionalism” and “responsiveness to the public.” Reporting for work is the most basic form of that.
Being a senator is not a part-time hobby.
Rule XXIII, Sections 134–136 of the Rules of the Senate require members to attend all sessions unless they have been granted official leave. Unexcused absences may lead to sanctions, from lost committee assignments to disciplinary action. These rules exist because senators are expected to legislate, not to disappear when things get uncomfortable.
Yet here we are: week after week, session after session, the Senate roll is called and one of its members is still missing. No explanation. No privilege speech. No transparency.
Then comes his birthday message, delivered from an undisclosed location, declaring he is “waiting for true justice” and dismissing “foreign courts.” It would have sounded patriotic had he not spent the last two months avoiding the very institution he was elected to serve.
This is the same man who once performed toughness for the cameras. But with Bato, toughness evaporates quickly when accountability knocks on the door. There is something almost sad about it. Not tragic, but disappointing. It reminds us how loudly some officials perform strength, yet how quickly that strength fades when real accountability appears.
Filipinos deserve senators who honor their words and their work. Showing up is not optional. Courage is not seasonal.
Filipinos deserve senators who show up not just for press conferences but for work; not just to talk tough but to stand by their words.
Until Senator Dela Rosa returns to the Senate floor, his silence will say far more than his bravado ever did.
