By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After tensions boiled over in the Senate following a leadership change and the reappearance of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa after a 6-month absence that culminated in a chase between his team and NBI operatives who attempted to serve him the ICC arrest warrant, the country’s armed forces remain vigilant on further developments in this saga.
As of press time, Senator dela Rosa remains under the Senate’s protective custody, with Marine troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) closely guarding the premises.
The Villamor Air Base remains under white alert status, with the Philippine Air Force (PAF) dismissing claims of the former PNP chief’s camp that a special aircraft is on standby and ready to take in Senator dela Rosa once he is arrested by authorities and surrendered to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
PAF Spokesperson Col. Ma. Christina Basco said, “We are undergoing normal air routine operations, and ayun po ang status natin ngayon sa Villamor Air Base. I would like to reiterate, wala po kaming natatanggap na any official directives, coordinations, requests regarding that.”
AFP Public Affairs Office Chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad clarified, “We have seen circulating information [in] social media. These are images of the previous situation, hindi po yung ngayon.”
On March 11, 2025, a private jet that departed from Villamor Airbase brought former President Rodrigo Duterte to the Hague, Netherlands, after Philippine authorities served him an arrest warrant from the ICC.
Meanwhile, the AFP clarified that military personnel deployed at the Senate are part of perimeter security protocols that are also enforced at other institutions.
An AFP official added that the institution remains firm in its nonpartisan and apolitical stance amid various chaotic developments within the upper echelons of the government, thus maintaining its loyalty to the Constitution
AFP Spokesperson Col. Francel Padilla declared, “We do not participate in any partisan and political activities, and we respect the function and process of all our democratic institutions.” (with report from Patrick de Jesus | PTV News)
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