Bato admits Cayetano is behind his Senate comeback amid leadership coup

Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa admitted that Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano told him to return to office on May 11 to complete the 13 votes needed to oust Sen. Tito Sotto and eventually voted for the new Senate head.

In an interview with Jessica Soho on May 13 when he was still in the Senate, Bato said that Cayetano contacted him to go to office that day and even arranged his transportation.

“Si Senator Alan Cyetano, ‘yung aming majority leader,” Bato said when asked who told him to attend the Senate’s session. “Pinasakay ako doon sa van, hindi ko alam kung kaninong van ‘yon. Basta sabi ni Senator Alan, ‘sumakay ka diyan sa van’,” he added.

Bato said that if he had known there were people watching out for his return to arrest him, he would have not gone to the Senate.

“Kung alam ko na may nagaabang hindi ako papasok.” he said.

The senator then described what he went through when he entered the Senate, backed with CCTV footage from different parts of the Senate building.

He said there were people at the entrance on standby whom he thought were security personnel of the Senate, but turned out was there to catch him, explaining the viral video of him running through the halls of the building.

Bato’s story is contrary to what Cayetano told the media last week that his return was for mere work and not for any political matters.

Bato had been absent from the Senate for over six months and has evaded arrest again after escaping the Senate premises a few days ago.