Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Tuesday denied allegations that he allowed National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents to attempt serving a warrant of arrest on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa inside Senate premises.
The issue stemmed from Monday’s incident in which NBI personnel reportedly went to the Senate while dela Rosa appeared at the plenary session amid proceedings involving a change in Senate leadership.
Dela Rosa earlier claimed that NBI agents attempted to stop him from reaching the session hall, allegedly to prevent him from participating in the vote.
During the plenary session on Tuesday, Sotto said he was not informed beforehand that dela Rosa would personally attend the session. According to him, an NBI representative merely informed his office that the bureau intended to serve a warrant on a senator.
“I simply said coordinate with OSAA,” Sotto said, referring to the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms.