CHICKENPIE.Bato dela Rosa needed a ride.
Robin Padilla had a car. The car had a second car. The second car was a security escort. The whole thing was timed for dawn, because dawn is when you do not want anyone watching. The CIDG later called it a highly coordinated, pre-planned logistical maneuver specifically executed to avoid detection. Padilla called it a ride. These descriptions are not in conflict if you are a senator and words are things you deploy rather than mean.
The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for Dela Rosa over crimes against humanity charges tied to the drug war. He had been in hiding for six months. Then on May 14, an arrest team showed up at the Senate to make the warrant real. He needed to leave. His colleague said he'd drive him somewhere.
That somewhere was not a precinct.
The PNP's CIDG spent two weeks reconstructing the route. They found a second vehicle tailing the convoy the whole way. That backup car is where you have to pause. A backup car does not materialize by accident. You arrange it. You arrange it the night before, or the morning of, with specific people who have specific cars and specific instructions. You are not hailing a Grab. You are running an operation. The fact that the operation is called a "ride" afterward is a courtesy you extend to yourselves.
Jinggoy Estrada is on his third plunder case. Third. Not the third hearing. The third separate case. He is in session right now.
Migz Zubiri switched to the minority because he says he was betrayed twice by colleagues. Those colleagues include people who arranged a pre-dawn coordinated convoy for an international fugitive's escape from the Senate floor. The betrayal he is upset about is not that.
We voted for this institution. Not the institution in the abstract. The specific individuals, by name, by face, by giant tarpaulin outside the Jollibee. The Senate is not some concept. It is a building full of people we chose.
The ICC issues warrants. The Senate provides the ride.
