De Lima says her Senate absences not comparable to Bato dela Rosa’sMANILA, Philippines — Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Party-list) rejected comparisons between her past non-attendance at Senate sessions and the situation of Sen. Bato Dela Rosa, saying the circumstances are “not the same.”In a statement on Sunday, January 11, De Lima said Senate President Vicente Sotto III should not liken her case, or that of former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, to Dela Rosa’s, stressing that her absence from Senate sessions during her incumbency was involuntary. “I could not be physically present in the Senate because I was in detention to face the fabricated charges filed against me then by the Duterte administration. On the other hand, Sen. Bato is running away from possible arrest by the ICC (International Criminal Court),” De Lima’s statement read. Despite his absence, Sotto said that Dela Rosa’s office continued to function. He admitted that there was nothing they could do to compel him to appear at the Senate, except for one thing.

Source: Philippine Star January 11, 2026 14:28 UTC