TOKYO, Japan — Directly entering the fierce constitutional debate over legislative rules while wrapping up state business abroad, the Chief Executive has flatly rejected structural changes to congressional voting. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed strong disapproval toward a controversial proposal to allow senators to cast legislative votes remotely during non-emergency situations.
Speaking candidly with Filipino journalists during a sit-down interview at the conclusion of his four-day state visit to Japan, the President pointed out that the rule change is a transparent attempt to accommodate a single individual. “I disagree with that… [The] only person who would benefit from it is Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, as he is a fugitive from justice,” Marcos stated.
The President emphasized that while digital accommodations were necessary to keep the state functioning during pandemic lockdowns, bending constitutional rules for a fugitive establishes a dangerous precedent:
[ THE STANDING RULE CHALLENGE ]
│
┌─────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ THE PROPOSED LOOPHOLE ] [ THE EXECUTIVE REJECTION ]
• **The Majority's Railroading:** The new Senate • **The Presential Veto Threat:** Marcos stressed
majority bloc tried to fast-track an online voting that remote parameters are strictly reserved for
clause, triggering a walkout by minority members. widespread public health crises (like COVID-19).
• **The Fugitive Accommodation:** The rule would allow • **The Presence Mandate:** *"If he wants to vote,
Dela Rosa to participate in key trials and state then he should personally show up. If a senator
policy loops while remaining completely hidden. is not present, then he cannot vote."*
The President’s sharp comments follow the dramatic disappearance of Dela Rosa from the legislative complex after a short-lived political gambit earlier in the month:
[May 11: Dela Rosa Resurfaces] ──► Casts Vote to Install Cayetano, Secures 3-Day Protective Custody │ ▼ (The Security Standoff)[May 13: The "Fake" Shooting] ──► Gunfire Erupts Near Complex; NBI Ordered by SC/Palace to Withdraw │ ▼ (The Flight) [Current Fugitive Status: Dela Rosa Flees; NBI Subpoenas His Wife, Nancy, Over His Escape Route]
Marcos echoed deep concerns raised by former legislative veterans like Franklin Drilon, questioning how a co-equal branch of government could twist its rules to actively harbor an individual running from global law enforcement.
Dela Rosa’s fugitive status is tied directly to international human rights mandates, which the current administration refuses to block through political manipulation.
| Legal Status Vector | Verified Judicial Metric | Current Enforcement Posture & Contingency |
| Active Warrant Line | Issued formally by the International Criminal Court (ICC) | Charges center on his direct command role in the previous administration’s deadly anti-drug campaign. |
| Trial Timeline | Set to officially begin by November 2026 | The Hague court has denied all local procedural appeals to dismiss or delay the global tracking mandate. |
| Domestic Fallout | NBI Fugitive Search Unit & Interpol Coordination | Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) heads have officially appealed to Dela Rosa to surrender peacefully. |
While administration critics and close allies of the former president claim the legal crackdown is a coordinated form of political targeting, President Marcos firmly dismissed the narrative. He pointed out that the evidence and cases being handled by the Ombudsman and international bodies existed long before the current Senate leadership shuffle took place.
Re-verifying that his administration will not allow the rules of state institutions to be rewritten to protect escaping individuals, the President asserted that the executive branch will focus strictly on governance, leaving the fugitive senator to answer directly to the law.